Heavenly Winter Guardian
by frozenseed
Summary: -Post The Thousand-Year Blood War- They called it a warranted promotion. He called it a forced retirement. Anything was better than doing nothing as a new Royal Guard, even going to the fabled Hollow's Promised Land. He really could do without the gaudy title, though. (Rating has changed)
1. snowfall

**Oh how I miss those days when Bleach was such a popular franchise. Toushiro Hitsugaya is one of my all time favorite characters for sure. He deserves a manga/anime of his own imo. The only thing a real fan like me can do is think up some stories worthy of him, and I can't help still doing it even years after the franchise ended. Actually, I used to be quite proficient in its universe, and maybe I still am? The same couldn't be said about Remnant, however, so I'm not really sure about this... Oh well, there's no harm in giving it a try. As usual, English is not my main language, so bear with it!**

**01**

* * *

Deepest reaches of Hueco Mundo...

There were in fact such places that even the Shinigami of Soul Society had barely any record of, much less had ever stepped foot upon. To be fair, there had never been any reason to bother with such far out of reach places. It was one of Shinigami's main duties to deal with Hollow, yes, but it was simply unrealistic to go that far after them where they were nowhere even close to human populace. All in all, it had not seemed worth it even though there was some real possibility of valuable knowledge hidden in those places.

Time passed by.

Wars ended.

Peace prospered.

It might be the chance to make the first step.

Sure enough, a foot landed upon the white sand of the endless desert shrouded by darkness, followed closely by its pair as the one they belonged to exited a Garganta. It was a male figure, tall and young, though this kind's actual age couldn't be judged by physical appearance alone. After all, powerful Shinigami could live up to hundreds or even thousands of years with barely aging. And this one in particular was definitely more than powerful enough, judging by the distinctive haori over his standard Shihakusho. Interestingly enough, however, there was no number at the back of the white garment.

As it seemed, the young Shinigami was none of those formidable Captains of the Gotei 13, at least no longer. The emblem in place of the normal division number told something else. Only few could recognize it even in Soul Society, but it was what symbolized a member of the fabled Royal Guard.

Zero Division

Contrary to popular beliefs, being promoted to the supposedly prestigious division was not something entirely welcomed by any Shinigami worth their salt. It was such a great responsibility for sure, considering that they were the last line of defense of Soul Society as what had been proven in the culmination of the Thousand-Year Blood War with Wandenreich. However, in time of peace, they might as well retire.

Soul-crushingly uneventful.

For this newly promoted Shinigami who had been famous all over Seireitei for his way too professional work ethic, having practically no work to do was actually worse than being demoted to cleaning duty. Seriously, he couldn't help but envy his infamously carefree former Lieutenant who had taken up his Captaincy soon after his involuntary promotion. He had never been one to complain unnecessarily, though. He would always remain professional no matter what.

Unlike his seniors in the Royal Guard.

Those old people were simply bothersome. They were mostly laid back fellows, yes, easily welcoming the rookie joining their rank with open arms, but their characters were honestly something said rookie could do without. He still couldn't forget in particular how at his welcoming party, the leader, Ichibe Hyoshube decided out of the blue to give the others a new set of titles just because he was the supposedly 'Monk Who Calls the Real Name'.

As it followed...

Tenjiro Kirinji ― Heavenly Spring Guardian

Kirio Hikifune ― Heavenly Summer Guardian

Senjumaru Shutara ― Heavenly Fall Guardian

And the rookie...

Toushiro Hitsugaya ― Heavenly Winter Guardian

Oh so obviously.

This rookie already had a sinking suspicion from the start that the idea behind those gaudy titles was based only from the fact he was the very embodiment of ice, thus winter, and the rests just followed along.

Absolutely ludicrous.

He regretted the day he invented a technique to temporarily turn Reishi into Kishi that if used on capable enough soul, in this case Shinigami, could practically turn them into human for some period of time. It had been such a controversial matter because of its law-defying nature, but instead of punishment, it resulted in a promotion for him surprisingly enough. However, everyone believed that him taking up the vacant position left by the deceased Oetsu Nimaiya had been planned all along, and this invention had only made things easier protocol wise.

It was no secret that the unquestionable power of negation of Daiguren Hyourinmaru's full form was something of the highest priority to secure. They mostly just wanted to keep this power in check after the great battle against The Miracle in the end of the Blood War showed his outstanding yet still growing potency. It was proven further after the war when Shunsui Kyoraku suggested that he, the supposed prodigy had finally surpassed him, the new Gotei 13 Captain-Commander himself.

His black mark from the DiamondDust Rebellion also didn't help his case at all.

He deserved it.

He just had to suck it up.

To his slight relief, he had soon learned that once in a blue moon, a mission of the highest confidentiality that went even beyond Central 46's authority might appear. Though it was only once such a mission came in just in a matter of weeks after his promotion that a rare excited smirk crossed his youthful face. It was just what he needed to leave the superfluous confines of his very own new city in the Royal Palace.

Now here he was, a new Royal Guard wandering around a bleaker than normal desert of Hueco Mundo to locate the mythical Andoral Ruins mentioned only in one of the oldest scrolls kept by Kuchiki Clan. In the same area, there was also some rumor of a supposedly dead Arrancar who had been suspected to have joined forces with Aizen decades ago but never showed up since. Thus, his additional objective here was to locate and eliminate this particular Arrancar.

It would probably take a while until he found something. The ever present moon somehow didn't shine as bright this deep into the Hollow World, he noticed idly. There was also no notable Hollow presence in the vicinity so far for some reason.

Scratch that.

Without warning, a random group of Adjuchas Menos appeared to surround the lone Shinigami. Perhaps it was because of him suppressing his Reiatsu almost completely, but it was still pretty much laughable that they thought they could ambush him much less prey upon him. They only realized their grave mistake in horror once he briefly released his Reiatsu, and it was more than enough to turn them into ice sculptures instantly except for one in front of him. That one, however, didn't feel that much lucky as it became the sole object of his icy stare.

"If you don't want to end up like them..." Without even moving a finger, he shattered all the ice around him into countless pieces. "Tell me where this so called Andoral Ruins is."

It took a moment for the bear-like Hollow to stop trembling.

"I can't... H- He would kill me if I tell anyone!"

"And I will kill you here if you don't, so what difference would it make?"

"..."

The poor thing looked about to die in fear, so he decided to change the subject a bit.

"Who is this he, anyway, an Arrancar?"

"H- He would kill me if I tell anyone!"

Again? Seriously?

"Let's make a deal then." He sighed patiently. "I will deal with this he myself if only you answer my questions."

"You can't!"

This was getting annoying.

"It is guaranteed I can."

"But -"

A strange x-shaped projectile came out of nowhere to put the annoying thing out of its misery instantly. It was just too sudden that even the Shinigami was not ready to prevent it. Though he was not at all surprised as he impassively watched a humanoid figure appeared behind the dissolving Hollow.

"It was really getting annoying, so thanks, I guess?"

"Shinigami." The hatred was more than obvious here. "What could you possibly mean by guaranteed?"

And it was understandable perhaps because it came from none other than an Arrancar. The clearly visible remains of Hollow mask on the right side of his face and the distinctive white attire were more than enough giveaways. Appearance wise, with his somewhat stylish turquoise hair, he didn't look any older than the Shinigami he spoke to, but the same apply to their kind that such a thing meant nothing. Said Shinigami paid more attention to the fact that this rare natural Arrancar was most likely his target.

"Isn't it obvious?" He raised an eyebrow casually. "It is guaranteed I can kill you."

Interestingly enough, the Arrancar laughed at that before his yellow eyes narrowed dangerously.

"How old are you, boy?"

"Should be around my first hundred years."

"Then you should tremble in fear before I, Arturo Plateado, the first ever self-made Arrancar of the greatest power who has lived for millennia."

Ah, it was really the one then.

The Shinigami frowned slightly at how lucky he was for once to have his target willingly show up this soon already.

"No."

"... You should know that more than a thousand years ago, I brought your kind to near extinction!"

"No?"

Guess who was getting annoying here this time.

"Insolent Shinigami!" Yellow eyes narrowed further. "You dare act high and mighty just because you all won against Aizen and his foul-made Arrancar army? You know my power is beyond all those Espada including the only self-made Primera?"

"Yes?"

"..."

Losing patience at such painful indifference, the Arrancar gritted his teeth, and extended his fingers forward aggressively to create a dark saber of energy. The sudden attack closely missed the Shinigami who moved away easily with Shunpo, but it was only a start. With effective use of Sonido, he proceeded to attack relentlessly and actually managed to overwhelm his foe enough to force him to draw his sword.

In actuality, the calm Shinigami had learned his opponent's attack pattern throughout his evades and parries. It took the arrogant Arrancar by surprise then when he suddenly flash-stepped to close their gap even though it nearly costed him being struck by the powerful saber. His eyes didn't even blink as he parried the attack with his sword, making it miss his face by a hairbreadth before he finally retaliated.

Tsukuyubi

The two fingers attack made a brief contact with the target's chest before sending him flying away with a burst of light. However, the practitioner didn't stop there. Jumping high effortlessly, he immediately released his Zanpakuto.

"Soten ni Zase. Hyorinmaru"

The immense spiritual power created by the slash produced a flow of ice that quickly took the shape of a swirling dragon. With a large, gaping maw, it charged right into its prey who had only recovered enough to draw his own sword and block the attack. It still managed to take him soaring far through the sand, however, before crashing down in an icy explosion.

Here, the Shinigami already prepared the finisher for his series of counter attacks.

"Bakudo #99, Part 1. Kin."

At once, among the ice pieces, powerful dark spiritual fabrics appeared to bound the fallen Arrancar's arms behind his back, then his entire body, and continued to pin him to the ground until they stacked around him in an x-shape with several metal shafts.

This was the Arrancar supposedly feared in history?

One would wonder why the late Genryusai Yamamoto did not just finish him off with Zanka no Tachi. Instead, the Gotei 13 back then went out of their way just to seal him. Then again, the old Captain-Commander had been too paranoid to use his own Bankai for so long, fearing that it would destroy Soul Society.

Still, the former Tenth Division Captain had actually expected more of a fight here.

He was no longer so disappointed soon enough.

Resurrección: Fénix was finally released.

It was quite alarming how easy all the spiritual fabric of the topmost binding spell got shredded to pieces by the sudden release of such an immense spiritual pressure. This particular Resurrección was definitely stronger than those of any Espada. It was somewhat of a let down, however, that it didn't look nearly as impressive as the ones belonged to the Espada. Except for the set of gaudy-looking, multi colored flame wings replacing the previous set of green energy ones, there was no notable difference from the release of the Arrancar's Zanpakuto.

At least the power told an entirely different story.

Another x-shaped projectile appeared at once. It was more powerful this time, and the target was the Shinigami himself instead of some nameless Hollow. He evaded without problem as it easily destroyed the place he stood on just a split second before. However, it took some effort from him to block the familiar but much stronger dark energy saber that followed immediately. In fact, the surprising force of the attack managed to actually send him flying this time.

Perhaps it was time to go all out himself.

No.

It would no longer be a fight if he used his Bankai. As much as he hated to admit it, the absolute freezing ability combined with the power of negation made it seem like a cheat move. Before his eventual departure from Gotei 13, even the infamous battle-crazed Kenpachi Zaraki had refused to spar with him, blatantly calling him boring. It had offended him more than he cared to admit, but it had also been what compelled him to train more in other areas.

That was a good thing actually because for one his senses had become sharp enough for him to anticipate the incoming lightning-fast attack.

Ryusenka

The huge burst of ice appeared just in time from the tip of his sword to stop and fully encase his opponent. Alas, it seemed to only last long enough for him to prepare his next move. The Arrancar's flame wings flared brightly before destroying the ice encasement completely, but by this point, he was ready.

Ikkotsu

The late Captain-Commander's Hakuda technique proved to be still more than powerful enough as the former Captain used that single punch, and the enemy was sent flying high to the sky. It didn't manage to destroy part of such a powerful Arrancar's body like it would've done to most others, but it was still enough to cause a prolonged stun. It was also more than enough to enrage the Arrancar as he regained his bearing.

Without warning, barrage after barrage of massive Cero rained down upon the Shinigami on the ground until the desert was covered in explosions. Even then, the chance was high that he would still come out alive. Thus, the Arrancar decided to just finish him here before drawing blood from his own finger to mix it with his already powerful Cero.

"Gran Rey Cero!"

The Shinigami, however, protected by his immense spiritual power, was not only still alive and pretty much unscathed under the explosions, but had also been drawing the expelled Reiatsu from all those Cero to prepare a counter attack.

"Hado #99. Goryutenmetsu."

The great ruptures of energy all around him quickly formed five light purple, enormous, swirling dragons of destruction. Two of those moved at once to intercept the violently spinning turquoise ball as it disturbed the fabric of space on its travel. A massive explosion ensued, creating a huge shock-wave that blew away the sandy terrain for miles and miles. And here, from it, the remaining three dragons soared high to find the real prey.

The ancient Arrancar was simply not prepared no matter how powerful he was.

Another massive explosion ensued the moment those three dragons of the ultimate Way of Destruction successfully served their purpose.

Later, once things finally settled down, the Arrancar was revealed to be lying defeated on the devastated battleground with a heavily damaged body, even missing some parts of it. Calmly, the one responsible for his defeat came to put him out of his misery. However, before this dreaded foe could get close enough, he used his remaining strength to cast a Spatial Prison.

A black circular Caja Negación engulfed the unassuming Royal Guard's whole form at once, paralyzing and isolating him from this dimension.

Obviously, the already defeated Arrancar used the opportunity to make an escape desperately in his condition. It was the best he could've done. There was no question, because soon, the Spatial Prison was completely frozen as the trapped Shinigami briefly released his Bankai just long enough to use Shikai Hyoketsu ability to freeze all matter. The dimensional barrier shattered almost instantly, letting him step out with his sharp gaze already looking at the direction his target was heading to.

Time for some Arrancar hunt.

Should be way less boring than walking aimlessly in this desert.

Some time passed, and the Shinigami frowned again at finding how uncharacteristically lucky he was once again. Seriously, the chance that he could find both objectives of his mission back to back this soon should be near zero, but here it was. Though perhaps it could be considered unlucky because if the mission ended too quickly, he had to head back soon already.

Dammit.

As a professional, however, there was nothing he could do about it, so he just focused his gaze on the magnificent sight before him in the distance.

Andoral Ruins...

That should be it, and his target Arrancar had ended up to be the one to lead him to it ironically enough. Shaking off such a frivolous thought, his gaze quickly landed on the mass of Hollow moving into the still standing remains of the massive temple-like structure. He decided then to just flash-step into it himself with icy Reiatsu flared, freezing each one he passed by.

It was like a maze, one that had nothing but soon frozen Hollow in each nook and corner. That was until the Arrancar's blood trail and dwindling Reiatsu led him to a stair toward the underground level of the ruins. More and more Hollow crossed his path only to turn into more ice sculptures before he found himself eventually stepping into a massive cavern, far greater in expanse than the structure aboveground. It wouldn't even be that much of a surprise if this was the underground level of this whole section of Hueco Mundo.

There were unsurprisingly Hollow everywhere. Having tired of seeing them, he unleashed his spiritual pressure at once, encompassing nearly the whole place. The weaker ones were all frozen solid instantly. The remaining few, despite being strong enough to endure such a high intensity of Reiatsu, appeared to be still terrified by it. Strangely enough, however, each one of them instead of fleeing, hurriedly jumped into the strange pools located all over the place.

It was then that he noticed the Arrancar's Reiatsu had also disappeared completely here.

Walking deeper, it dawned on him then that the reddish glow illuminating the cavern came from the pools the Hollow had disappeared into. A familiar trail of blood soon caught his attention, however, and it led right into one of those pools. That alone suggested that they were really not what they seemed to be. As he approached, he looked into the strangely ever calm surface only to find such a peculiar sight here underground.

Dark red sky?

Okay...

As it appeared, he had just discovered seemingly natural dimensional portals hidden within the dept of the long forgotten ruins.

According to protocol, he was required to head back immediately to report this discovery. It would be way too simple. He would then return to his boring duty, all the while letting the specialized Twelfth Division / SRDI take over to do some research here. The thought actually made him feel somewhat envious.

Oh well, they should understand already that he was one who hated to leave works unfinished. There was still a runaway Arrancar needed to be located and eliminated even after going to another world. It would not be the first time he ignored protocol anyway. They were welcome to demote him if necessary, and he'd perhaps return with gratitude.

It was pretty much a win-win situation really.

Though he was still sensible enough here. Taking out his slim communication device, he decided to leave a message to the most reliable but unfortunately also most insufferable someone he knew. It was after all still necessary regardless his chance to ever return.

Then, having no second thought, the 'Heavenly Winter Guardian' just dove unknowingly into a possibly one way portal to the fabled 'Hollow's Promised Land'...

**Remnant**

―

This was a bad idea.

For once, Winter Schnee had to admit that Atlesian Military had gone too overconfident. Her body trembled ever so slightly as her eyes looked over the dark wasteland where seemingly endless hordes of Grimm came from every direction. The unit she specifically led in this secret expedition to none other than Land of Darkness had been caught off guard and pushed on the defensive for hours already. Their airship was so far still secured in the center of their full defensive formation, but the large number of flyers in the air prevented a safe take off.

The creaking of crushed metals turned her attention back to the outermost line of defense where the androids supposedly held off the Grimm. Their number was only dwindling down the longer they stayed here. It was only a matter of time until the soldiers could no longer fight back from range, and had to face the creatures directly. That would be very bad because she herself had expended too much energy for her already fallen Summons.

It was a losing battle.

They would all die here before reinforcements could arrive.

She found herself no longer had the voice to issue order as a poignant thought of her dear little siblings unconsciously filled her troubled mind. It was as if she was slowly resigning to her fate. She knew this was absolutely not what someone of her position should do in any situation, but she just couldn't help it.

There was still a lot of things left to be said and done...

There was still a lot of dreams to pursue...

There was still a lot of regrets too...

Hopeless, she solemnly looked up at the dark red sky. It looked like her trying to pray for the first and probably last time in her life. Honestly, she had never cared much about gods, and the thought of them still didn't cross her mind here. This was merely herself for once entertaining her fantasy, the silly fantasy that in another, more forgiving world, there might be some kind of guardian ready to come down from heaven to protect humanity...

If she honestly expected the sky would suddenly lit up with warm golden light that drove the dark creatures away, she couldn't be more disappointed. Not that she expected such a thing. It didn't make her feel any better though to find the bleak sky was somehow filled rapidly with dark clouds out of nowhere. The unexplainable rapid drop of temperature that accompanied it only make her feel even more lost.

Perhaps she was only imagining it, but here in the middle of the accursed Land of Darkness, it really seemed like it was about to snow...

How silly.

Impossible.

But here it was...

One after another, pristine white snows fell onto the dark wasteland. The startling contrast of the view made time seem to stop as everyone just stood there speechless. The snows kept on falling, however, and as they did, something even more shocking happened. Each one that fell upon the Grimm instantly froze over their bodies. It was such an eerily astonishing sight as the creatures, even the ones in the sky, all appeared helpless to fight it before being eventually encased in solid ice.

It felt like an eternity, a dream-like eternity, but in the end after the last snow fell, the hordes of Grimm as far as the eyes could see all had been turned into such a stunning sea of ice sculptures...

There was no other view like this.

Not even close.

Ever.

With wide slate-blue eyes, Winter couldn't help looking around in child-like wonder. She was filled with an innocent desire to just run out there and look closer. And perhaps she would've really done so if not for the sudden strange sensation in the air. Her Aura sensed it just in time before the view changed suddenly.

All those ice sculptures at once shattered into countless tiny pieces, showering the whole area mesmerizingly with beautiful glittering diamond dust...

Just when she thought it couldn't possibly look any better...

Who would've ever thought that something as horrible as the Creatures of Grimm could be turned into such a wonderful sight?

This was the work of god...

Enough said.

Perhaps she should start to pray for real, she thought lightly as her gaze went back to the still cloudy sky. For some reason, they had not disappeared entirely, only lightened, as if trying to protect them still and give some comfort. The temperature had also returned closer to normal with just enough cold to make it feel comfortingly pleasant. This really made her want to pray in gratitude now. That was until she suddenly spotted such a curious sight in the sky.

It had to be only her imagination going too far.

There was simply no way after all.

No human could just stand there in the air so casually with nothing suggested any possible mean to fly. Then again, after what she had just witnessed earlier, it would be foolish of her to simply disregard it. Sighing tiredly, she used her little remaining energy to create a glyph under her feet that steadily took her high in the air toward the mysterious sighting. And once she got close enough, she couldn't help but frown in bewilderment.

It was really what appeared to be a human.

A tall male maybe about her age.

An ethereally attractive one at that...

Immediately, she forced that last thought away as she took a closer look at his strange appearance. Still standing in the air, he really appeared to have nothing on his person except for the black and white attire he wore and the long-sword at his back. She tried not to think more about how absurd it was, however, as she then focused on his features. The first thing that naturally caught her interest was his unrully white hair that looked even whiter than her own. Here, she unconsciously found herself admiring how it made such a nice contrast with his tan skin...

If only the young huntress realized that the one she was unknowingly checking out had been waiting for her to speak...

"Miss?" His white eyebrow rose slightly. "... Can I help you?"

Uh oh.

"I... I'm sorry." Quickly she tried to school her expression. "... I am just wondering if you have something to do with the strange snowfall earlier."

"Tenso Jurin."

"... Excuse me?"

"Subjugation of the Heavens, the ability responsible for what you mean as snowfall."

Seriously?

As discreetly as possible, she took a brief moment to see if he was lying or plain crazy, but to her surprise, she soon found nothing on his impassive features to suggest such things.

"So... Let me get this straight." Her black eyebrows knitted together carefully. "You are capable of something that allows you to freely control the weather and even use it to practically wipe out a sea of Grimm?"

"Pretty much." He paused slightly. "... They are called Grimm then?"

Now he had to be kidding.

"... Yes?" She looked at him weirdly. "I mean, I'd be happy to tell you about them... in case you're from another world perhaps?"

"Forgive my ignorance. I am indeed from a wholly different world."

"... You're serious."

"I am."

A moment please.

She tried her best to think rationally about this completely unexpected development. For some reason, he still didn't seem to be lying here. He also had more than enough to back up his claim with all what had been shown so far. And, to be honest, she genuinely wished to believe him as strange as it was.

"Okay." It took a bit of effort to maintain her composure. "You didn't seem to be the least bit perturbed by their sights, though. Would you tell me why?"

"I'm simply used to deal with similar creatures."

"Oh? What are they called?"

"Hollow." He decided to just tell a bit of truth. "... I actually suspect that what you call Grimm here might be some evolved form of Hollow from my world."

"..."

Could she please get herself a bit of break already?

This was all simply too much for her, but it was not in her character to just stop thinking things over carefully. Unbeknownst to her, her distress had affected her delicate features, and it didn't escape the mysterious male's notice. He decided then to kindly give her the much needed break.

"I guess it's time for me to continue on my way." He slowly began to turn around. "It was nice to meet you, miss."

Uh oh.

"W- Winter!" Somehow she felt panic and desperate enough to act without thinking. "Winter Schnee. That is my name. I am a Specialist in Atlesian Military."

There was just no way for her to know here that the word 'winter' had recently become something that could trigger him quite easily.

"Very well, Miss Schnee." Thankfully, he was proficient in hiding his thoughts. "The name is Toushiro Hitsugaya."

"Ah, it's nice to meet you too then, Toushiro." Now she felt strangely awkward for some reason. "Well... Is that it? I mean, considering your clear experience in battle, do you have any position in military too perhaps, or even titles?"

There was just no way for her to know as well that the mention of title recently could also trigger him quite easily.

"I used to be in a military, yes, but I have since been assigned to a simple guard duty."

"I see... What about titles then?"

This was one persistent female indeed...

He briefly contemplated to just flash-step away and be done with her already. He knew, however, that she had not done anything to deserve such a rude treatment. Thus, he found himself taking a moment to recall the many titles people had given him during his career, but none of them was noteworthy enough to him. He silently cursed his luck then when the newest and probably worst one suddenly crossed his thought. Even worse, considering the one who had created it, he just helplessly couldn't resist from mentioning the blasted thing.

"... heavenly winter guardian."

"... Pardon?"

"... Heavenly Winter Guardian."

There, could he just leave already now?!

If he was still his child self, his face would've reddened quickly just like that time with Sarugaki. It was a good thing then, as he matured along with his power, he could be just as unflinchingly cool as the element he embodied. Even here, instead of blushing, he in fact raised an eyebrow at the sight of the female who for some reason was the one blushing...

Said female, aware of the bothersome state of her face, still tried her best to keep her composure.

"I'm sorry, Toushiro. It's just... as you know already, my name is Winter... so... it was only natural that I... you know..."

What an epic fail...

"No worries. Trust me, I know. It is truly a gaudy title."

"N- No! I personally love it."

"..."

"I've always dreamed of such guardian."

"..."

"I mean -"

What was going on with her?!

She was just a bit nervous here. That had to be it, and her uncharacteristic blush meant nothing. No one could blame her, seeing that she was in the presence of such an absurdly powerful human. At this, however, she began to wonder again if he really was human. Concentrating, she decided then to see his Aura, all the while inwardly berating herself for not doing it sooner.

What she saw stunned her instantly.

There was an Aura as expected of anyone capable of superhuman abilities. What left her speechless, however, was the fact that it didn't appear normally as a light glow around the body. Instead, as unbelievable as it was, the overwhelming white icy 'Aura' in front of her seemed to compose his very own body. This was simply not possible since Aura was supposedly the manifestation of the soul, so it just didn't make sense, unless...

He was a soul?

Ludicrous.

There was no way she was talking to a ghost.

Shaking her head slightly, she decided to just spare herself from thinking too much, and maybe go back to seeing his face instead of his supposed Aura. It was much easier too, seeing how beyond easy he was on the eyes. Speaking of eyes, however, suddenly she noticed something peculiar about his.

"Excuse me, but do you always have heterochromatic eyes?"

"... No?"

"I'm sorry. I seem to remember myself that your eyes were both of beautiful turquoise color." She was serious enough here to pay no mind that she had accidentally included one particular unnecessary word. "But the left one is now reddish for some reason..."

Just like Grimm's...

The thought made her shudder slightly despite his apparent confusion. It worried her even more then as an eerily familiar red line began to appear down the corner of said eye like a tear drop. And it was here that he also seemed to notice the change.

Dammit.

This really felt like back when Daiguren Hyourinmaru was temporarily Hollowfied as it returned to him after being stolen by the Sternritter. He had never told it to anyone, even Urahara who was responsible for the method, but since then, he had this dark hidden persona akin to Vizard's Hollow yet still mostly himself. There had really been no complication for so long due to his predominantly growing Shinigami power, thus he had no reason to think much about it.

Until now.

That dark thing out of nowhere tried to gain greater influence on him.

The white of his now red left eye began to turn black despite him trying to suppress said darkness.

Winter had instinctively stepped back a bit as soon as she noticed his 'Aura' fluctuate wildly. However, she found herself unable to look away from his suddenly still form. Her mind could only wonder anxiously what was actually happening with him.

He was losing after practically exhausting himself by releasing too much Reiatsu in consecutive manner.

It would be very bad especially for this curious female if he completely lost himself to the darkness here. There would be no escape for her even if he warned her now. And he refused to let that happen at all cost. It would be a thousand times better if he just killed himself before anything could happen to her. As he was about to draw his sword to commit that final act for real, however, he was suddenly reminded of the useless thing responsible for his current position.

The still unnamed particles conversion technique...

It would temporarily turn him pretty much human, weakening him considerably, but at least this way, his darkness would be even more weakened than him.

There was no other option.

It would still be better than pathetically killing himself, wouldn't it?

Who knew.

Time was running out, thus without further thought, he whispered the secret incantation. The real process caught him slightly off guard, however. It might be because his spiritual power was way too overwhelming to repress, but even as the inventor of the technique, he hadn't expected that it would take much more toll than normal on his body. On the outside, it should appear like nothing much happening, but he was actually in a dire state of losing consciousness once it was all over and done.

In the end, Toushiro Hitsugaya, one of the most powerful Shinigami to have ever existed had been reduced into a mere human about to pass out.

Dammit.

It would seriously hurt as a helpless human to fall this high from the sky, wouldn't it?

Dammit.

His eyes soon fell shut weakly before he could have the chance to find that his unconscious self actually didn't manage to fall that far.

... A glowing glyph had readily caught him in mid air.

* * *

**That's how you nerf an OP Royal Guard Hitsugaya. He might seem way too overpowered here, but I'm actually being realistic, considering his potential as mentioned by**** Ichimaru********** and******************** Kyoraku**********. Also, his completed Bankai's ability is truly op as it allows him to negate all power and even function of anything he freezes, and it is mentioned that he could practically freeze all matter with a certain technique. So the nerf is necessary.**

**Now about the story, admittedly it's kinda AU to allow more room for creativity. Arturo's fate shows that much here. It's also harder than I thought to create some connection between Hollow and Grimm despite their resemblance, so some creativity is really needed. I guess that's it for now. Feel free to share your thoughts!**


	2. trust

**To be honest, this story is at first intended to be some kind of one-shot that may open a possibility for readers to imagine more themselves. However, I find myself loving the pairing more and more. The two are too similar to each other perhaps, and it might seem boring at first glance. To me personally, it only makes it all the more interesting compared to those common pairings that consist of characters with different and more often than not opposite personalities. It excites me for sure to explore the possibility that I end up imagining how the story goes myself. So, ******hopefully, **it would continue to be updated as long as you readers still show interest.**

**02**

* * *

Who would've thought that what appeared to be a massive chunk of purple crystal and rock towering deep within Land of Darkness was actually a castle?

Evernight Castle

Despite the exterior, it was indeed a hospitable place with the mysterious master of the land's inhabitants herself as an owner. And this owner, fittingly enough, had an appearance that reflected the strangeness of the place. In all fairness, she could be seen as an exceptionally beautiful woman, but the traits of the dark creatures she was the master of marred her features enough to make her look eerily frightening.

There was no other like Salem in Remnant.

That was what she thought for so long until recently, a Grimm brought to her a mysterious figure found unconscious near the central Grimm pool. It was a male that she first thought to be some kind of Faunus at the sight of a bone-like structure on the right side of his head, but the strange dark hole going through his chest proved him to be something else entirely. Interestingly enough here, he shared her features somehow, from the deathly white coloring to the similar dark veins already visible on his skin. It wouldn't surprise her if his eyes turned out to be like hers as well.

This male, whoever, whatever he was, had definitely come out of a Grimm pool, the same one that Salem had thrown herself into eons ago.

Why?

How could he survive?

Was he immortal too?

She could only wonder as she observed his heavily wounded and still unconscious form submerged within the healing tank located in her private quarters. This was what she had been spending most of her free time lately, trying to at least understand what he actually was. It still surprised her that he felt more like a Grimm despite his humanoid appearance, but there was something else too, something otherworldly. He also couldn't possibly be a Grimm, considering that he had some kind of Aura, one that despite his condition, was unbelievably strong to the point that it seemed to compose his whole form.

Such an absurd level of 'Aura' should have made anyone practically invincible.

What could have possibly left such a powerful being in this terrible state then?

Here, her mind unconsciously wandered back to the shocking news she received just after this male was found that almost half of the land's Grimm populace had been easily wiped out in a mysterious 'snowfall'. She would've dismissed it instantly, found it laughable even, if not for the fact that she herself had sensed a strange rapid drop of temperature during the time the incident supposedly happened. She knew then that all of this was far beyond any mortal's capacity.

Could it be that those blasted gods had returned at last?

―

It seemed like a beautiful female staring at a mysterious, unconscious male had recently become a thing in Remnant.

In one VIP room of Atlas Medical Facility, Winter Schnee, still in her uniform after having returned from the disastrous mission, sat silently near the patient bed. Her intense gaze barely left the lying still form of the one she only knew as Toushiro Hitsugaya. He had not regained consciousness since the time his eyes fell close weakly, and she caught him from falling down to his death.

Well, perhaps not to death.

She doubted falling from such a height was even enough to kill him despite his Aura for some reason having become not that much different from normal now. On that note, he was indeed human as confirmed by the doctor. At least he had really become one after what she suspected he did to himself to deal with the disturbing condition that happened to him suddenly back there.

The eerie image of that red and black eye still made her shudder as it appeared in her mind again...

His left eye had returned to normal turquoise now, and the Grimm-like red line had also disappeared from his face. It was a relief for sure that she could look at him comfortably again. However, she still couldn't completely shake off the worry she felt around him since leaving Land of Darkness. During the flight back to Atlas and even here in the hospital, his presence despite being unconscious compelled her to always stay alert. That was why she insisted to keep watch on him herself despite still being pretty much exhausted.

No one here knew better than her what this mysterious male was actually capable of. None other than her had seen the unfathomable danger lurking within him. Really, the potential risk of bringing him back home with her might be too much. She hated herself for this, but if she and the others were not greatly indebted to him, she would've preferred to leave him behind.

To think that in the beginning she felt amazement and, dared she admit it, attraction to him...

It was best to at least leave behind such feelings. She had no business with this kind of thing. It was merely her being in a somewhat unstable emotional state after all that happened.

Time to return to her cold and calculating self.

Her gaze focused on the Scroll-like object on top of the table then as she deemed it acceptable to check on his belonging while he was still unconscious. It was after all necessary to learn as much as possible about such a dangerous stranger. Her strict sense of ethic was involuntarily shed aside for once here as she took the object and began to meticulously work with it.

This thing was indeed pretty much like a Scroll, she found out soon enough. It as expected had a wholly different OS and apps, but still worked very similarly that she had no problem using it. To her disappointment, however, she admittedly had no clue about the more complicated programs here. They simply made no sense to her despite her advance knowledge since they were probably designed to work not in this world. Therefore, she had to settle on the more basic ones.

The last message he received was from someone addressed simply as 'obnoxious leader'.

\- _Young one, we all can't wait for your return already. Do not hesitate! Wipe out all that stand in your way if it means you can go home sooner!_ -

... Quite alarming.

The last message he sent was to someone addressed simply as 'insufferable shopkeeper'.

\- _Pay attention, degenerate. Check my last coordinate. If you can cover up for me and provide some assistance, I'll give you Hikifune-san's new number._ -

... Quite disturbing.

Now she wasn't sure if she should look more into the message history. What she read barely made any sense to her anyway. Moving on, she automatically switched to check on the next thing.

The last call he had was with someone addressed simply as 'lazy ass troublemaker'.

... Quite troubling?

In the end, tired of finding close to nothing noteworthy, she decided with a frustrated sigh to just browse through the lighter apps like photo galleries.

What she found was interesting to say the least.

Here she could catch some glimpses of his strange home world. What really caught her particularly intense attention, however, was the woman who seemed to be always with him in the photos. A frown of displeasure appeared on her face for some reason as her eyes narrowed at the sight of said woman unashamedly clinging to him and even kissing his face.

So he was already taken...

What a distasteful couple then.

Although Winter had never bothered with anything remotely resembled a relationship, she knew that no decent girlfriend would behave so shamelessly and no decent boyfriend would just tolerate it so carelessly. It was best to pay no mind here that the images of the supposed girlfriend's stunning looks made her kind of feel inadequate somehow, the shocking bust size in particular. On second thought, she could use it as a convenient excuse to lower her opinion of him even more by silently accusing him of being that typical male.

The glare she instinctively sent his way showed her newfound contempt more than clear enough despite him being in no condition to see it.

Contrary to how it might appear, in no way it had anything to do with jealousy. There was simply no reason to be jealous. She was just gravely disappointed in him, losing her trust and respect completely, that she wished she had let him fall down for real and just leave him behind to be eaten by Grimm.

Yes.

It had nothing at all to do with the absurd notion called jealousy.

Period.

Unfortunately, to her frustration, all her silly attempt of self-convincing achieved was only an unreasonable sense of insecurity. It came to the point that she wanted to throw the Scroll-like object at his head for making her feel so unlike herself. Just as she was about to do it for real, though, one particular photo on the screen suddenly caught her undivided attention, making her stop abruptly.

Her scowl quickly disappeared as she blinked in wonderment.

This had to be taken long ago since he looked so young here, maybe not even preteen, yet already wore a small version of his regalia-like attire. Unlike his now cool, mature look, here the young boy seemed to try too hard what with the hard scowl on his cute face. And there was just nothing more adorable than this. It was hard to keep her contempt for him after seeing this, even more so at the silly sight of the same sword at his back apparently used to be longer than his boy self was tall.

Breaking the silence in the room, a melodious giggle unintentionally left her lips. She covered her mouth immediately as her scowl made a full return. This was simply embarrassing, but at least her only company here could not possibly notice, or that was what she thought. Apparently, she had been too absorbed in her bothersome thought to notice that said company had already regained consciousness enough to sit up until he gave her a strange look that made her face feel uncomfortably warm.

Dammit.

She couldn't recall the last time her proper lady self slipped that badly for a curse to even cross her mind, but she just couldn't help it here. It was bad enough to be caught red handed meddling with his personal belonging, but to find that he had heard her giggling like a schoolgirl was almost too much for her. Fortunately, years of etiquette practice saved her. Despite the reddening of her pale face, she still managed to maintain enough composure to simply return the object to the table before looking back at him.

"Took you long enough to wake up." Her coldness had returned to her relief. "I was getting bored of waiting."

"... Where are we?"

"Atlas Medical Facility in my home country."

"You saved me then."

"Now we are even."

"Thank you all the same, Miss Schnee."

He looked surprisingly genuine as he gave her an appreciative nod. It made her feel uncomfortable again for some reason, so she quickly decided to change the subject a bit to one particular thing that had been bothering her.

"What actually happened back there?"

"I used a questionable method on myself as a last resort to prevent something bad from happening."

Cryptic, but basically just as she thought.

"Did this method by any chance has a side effect of turning you more... human?"

"Did you not really see me as a human before?"

If he put it that way, that sounded rather offensive of her, she admitted with a resigned sigh.

"... Fine. You're not obligated to be truthful to me, but I expect you to reveal more when you speak with the general."

"What makes you think I'm about to speak with this general of yours?"

"Your sword. It's not merely a weapon to you, is it?" She smirked smugly. "It is with the general at the moment. You should pick it up before eventually going on your way."

What a cunning female.

―

Loud sounds of metal against metal and explosion filled the vast expanse of Atlas's secret weapon test facility. Various prototype android and mecha models filled the majority of the area, undergoing courses of intense testing, with all the personnel appeared to be particularly fired up. It was only expected, however, since this one afternoon, the session was attended without prior warning by none other the military's most esteemed figure himself.

As a veteran soldier, General James Ironwood didn't seem to flinch at the dangerous procedures happening in the surroundings. He stood tall as usual even in the presence of one particularly powerful-looking prototype. Interestingly enough, however, his attention, instead of on the towering machine being tested in his close proximity, was focused simply on a sheathed sword in his hands.

An exceptionally long traditional katana with a thin chain as a sash that belonged to a sword-master supposedly from another world...

Despite the outstanding craftsmanship, the weapon was way too out of date here in Remnant. It didn't appear to have any additional form or even function like most modern weapons. The one noticeable thing about it was perhaps only the foreign type of metal it was apparently made of. Thus, all in all, in this age of technological advancement, it seemed to be better suited as an antique heirloom instead of a combat weapon.

The experienced general didn't pay such a close attention on the sword for no reason, however.

It was a weapon through and through, one that had gone through long years of battle, responsible for countless deaths.

A cold shiver ran down his spine as all his instincts warned him of the hidden danger. He couldn't say he really sensed it, but somehow, he just knew that there was an otherworldly power lying dormant within the unassuming blade. That was why he decided to keep it sheathed after just looking at it briefly.

As crazy as it sounded, it was as though the sword itself was ordering him to keep himself in check around it.

And he did.

It was to his great relief then when he spotted a young pair of whiteheads enter the facility together in a rather tense silence. As soon as they got close, the female one immediately gave him a salute that he returned with a nod before he turned his attention to the male. Here, he took the initiative to offer a polite half bow that was surprisingly enough being returned in kind. It made him feel more at ease for sure as he then offered a handshake with a friendly smile.

"My name is James Ironwood. It is good to finally meet our unexpected savior in person."

"Toushiro Hitsugaya." Ever so calm, he accepted the handshake. "I only did my duty of protecting people from such creatures."

"I see you're not only a sword-master then, but some sort of Huntsman too perhaps?"

"If you mean huntsman in general meaning, then yes, I could be considered as one perhaps since I'm here to hunt down someone particularly dangerous. I need my sword back before I could continue on my way, however."

Oh, right.

Wise enough not to push the matter too far, the general readily returned the sword in question to the owner.

"My apologies, Master Hitsugaya. As an old fan of sword arts, I just couldn't resist borrowing it after seeing such an outstanding craftsmanship."

"It's fine."

"That's a relief. Though, if you don't mind, would you give us some demonstration with it perhaps?" Excitedly, he then pointed at the nearby towering machine. "That is our greatest masterpiece, the prototype Atlesian Paragon-130, designed specially to deal with the most dangerous Alpha Grimm around. Even our elite Ace Operatives struggle to bring it down together in reasonable time. But, after hearing a bit of your power, I'm sure you should have no trouble doing it."

Actually, it was getting troublesome already for the supposed sword-master that he considered refusing politely.

"I'm afraid I've been left with no more than five percent of my power currently due to an unfortunate circumstance."

"Ah, that sounds unfortunate indeed, but I think you should still give it a try, master."

It was clear where the general's loyal subordinate learned her persistence from...

"... Fine. Just don't hold me responsible for your prized machine's inevitable damage."

This really was not necessary. He had no business with this military, but it would save him more troubles to just comply with them, he supposed. Thus, with no more words, he walked up to the readied spot, fully intending to just be done with it so he could finally leave.

Things really had turned for the worse.

It was bad enough that he could no longer communicate with Hyorinmaru, but perfectly understandable. After all, in his current state, he was only some sort of pseudo Shinigami at best. It was true that he had been reduced into no more than five percent of his power, no stronger than back before he even became a Captain. Though, to be fair, all the skills and experience he had gained over almost a century should more than make up for this severe lack of spiritual power. That meant, the general's bold statement was also more than true.

He really should have no trouble, like at all.

All the preparation was ready.

Everyone watched in anticipation.

The start sign was given.

At once, the Atlesian Paragon-130 opened the so called demonstration with heavy fire of high caliber Dust bullets. To everyone's disbelief, however, its target calmly evaded each one of those projectiles by slightly moving from side to side in a blur. This lasted until the prototype model's advanced AI eventually deemed it noneffective, and immediately switched into a direct approach. Faster than something of its weight should be capable of, it charged down for a melee attack with a large beam-saber drawn.

... Only to be sidestepped effortlessly.

Detecting the attack had missed, the powerful machine quickly activated its braking mechanism to ready a follow up move. However, right as it made a full stop, it stopped moving entirely all of a sudden. Everyone could only look in puzzlement that soon turned into shock as their greatest prototype fell down into two pieces. No one even had any clue of when the supposedly impossible, clean, diagonal cut had been made.

A moment later, it was none other than the military's female Specialist present who first snapped out of it as she pointed at the one responsible accusingly.

"You said you're only at five percent of your power now!"

"I did. As I currently am now, your machine could've seriously killed me if I just stood there."

"Then how come you still evaded and even one-shot it effortlessly?"

"Hoho and Zanjutsu rely more on skill than power."

"... Huh?"

To her embarrassment, she was left simply clueless here. Unlike her, however, her superior slowly managed to grasp what had actually been happening in the all too short demonstration.

The blurry movement could be pass off as a highly advanced Speed Semblance perhaps.

The finishing move, however, seemed simply impossible. It could only occur in the split second the Paragon rushed past its sword-wielding target, but there was no sign of it occurring back then. To cleanly cut Carbon Fiber Reinforced Dust, the toughest material in Remnant that made up the machine's body, required such an immense force that should've produced a loud noise upon impact, but there was none. It was even more baffling with the fact that the one responsible for it appeared to have done nothing noteworthy with the cutting weapon, just normally channeling it with Aura.

As absurd as it was, if not the strange sword, then it might have really been skill that played the part.

Such an absurd level of skill.

Fascinating.

In the end, the experienced general saw this as a great opportunity to secure a new ally, a trump card even, for Atlas and perhaps eventually even Remnant as a whole. His eagerness was clearly apparent as he welcomed this potential ally's return with an excited grin and even more excited hands clap.

"Truly a master in the way of the sword... I simply lost for words, Master Hitsugaya."

"Thank you. Though I've known someone better in the past."

"That is simply hard to believe. I have no doubt that here in Remnant, you're the best ever by a long shot. In fact, I even find myself having a great hope that your unparalleled skills and experience could make a real difference in this unforgiving world if you just give it a chance."

"... Are you by any chance trying to recruit me into your military, general?"

Spot on.

"My apologies if I sounded rather roundabout about it, master, but you are completely correct." The general smiled sheepishly. "We would really appreciate your invaluable assistance in the never ending struggle against the Creatures of Grimm."

The first response, a quick one at that, came surprisingly enough not from the male whitehead, but the female one who looked up suddenly in disbelief.

"General, everyone knows you have a full authority over this, but if I may speak up my mind, please reconsider such a -"

"Schnee, please."

"... Pardon me, sir."

She couldn't possibly object further here, though in an unusual bout of pettiness, she channeled her frustration with a glare toward the real source. Not that she received any response from him. The male, to her further frustration, seemed to be considering the offer instead for some reason.

"Let's say I agree..." He twirled his sword idly in contemplation. "What would be expected from me, and I be able to expect in return?"

"As I already mentioned, the assistance of someone of your capacity is really needed if we still wish to put an end to the struggle at last. In return, apart from guaranteed, hopefully adequate paycheck and accommodations, we should be able to provide you with all necessary knowledge about Remnant that may help with your original objective here."

"Very well, General Ironwood. To be clear, however, this agreement would only remain valid until the time comes for me to eventually return to my world."

Hearing that, the general couldn't look more pleased.

"That is more than we could possibly ask from you, Master Hitsugaya."

"First thing first, let's speak about the condition." Turquoise eyes narrowed subtly. "It's more or less unreasonable to just trust and accept a stranger so readily. We have to admit that Miss Schnee has a point."

The female in question silently snapped to attention in genuine surprise. She had not at all expected he would be on her side here to some degree. It gave her a little hope that this highly unreasonable agreement would not really come true.

Alas, the already way too pleased general seemed to be in the mood to let down his loyal subordinate today.

"Ah, it is very understanding of you to kindly point it out first. I personally have no problem trusting you so readily as you put it. The protocol, however, still requires you to temporarily have an all time direct supervision from an already reputable officer."

"That is fine by me."

"Excellent! It's really a good thing then that I already have the perfect officer in mind." Here, he smiled so convincingly at the 'lucky' person. "Schnee, the spare room in your private suite is still free, is it not?"

"..."

Just what had she done to deserve this?

―

How ironic.

Even here in a different world, he, a proud Shinigami, ended up with the foreign style of Quincy attire again because of weakness and foolishness. At least this time was not involuntary, and it was not really a Quincy attire. Still, the resemblance was uncanny. Aside from the slightly different coloring, the only noticeable difference between that Wandenreich uniform he had once worn thanks to Sternritter Z and this particular Atlesian Military uniform was the badge.

The unique crest of Atlas suited him better than the Hagal rune of Wandenreich, thankfully enough.

He guessed he could live with a change of appearance once in a while. It was still way better than being blackmailed by his old Lieutenant to accompany her shopping and be forced to try various stupid clothing. He sure had a simply easier time earlier this day getting this new uniform with the Schnee woman than all those hellish shopping with Matsumoto in the past.

At the thought of his new acquaintance, he paused inspecting his new appearance, and just stood silently here in her guestroom. They had barely spoken from the time they left the testing ground until now in the evening after they arrived in her residence. It showed clearly enough that she only welcomed him out of a direct order from her superior.

For some reason, he found himself missing the curious female he first met in this foreign world...

Such a shame.

He knew it was more than hypocritical of him for thinking this, but the fact that she turned out to be so cold somewhat saddened him. Hopefully it was only to him because he knew he deserved her cold and even hostile treatment after accepting an agreement she had been so clearly against. The agreement might be necessary now that he could only rely on a small fraction of his power, but he should've been more considerate of her feelings.

She disliked him.

Whether it was out of wary distrust or simply distaste, it was clear that she disliked him intruding upon her life.

How complicated.

He was really bad with women despite his old Lieutenant's bold claim that he had an unmatched potential with them. Perhaps it would be the only potential he would never even come close to achieve, not that he could care less. He currently just wished to have a clue on how to make up with this one in particular.

It was hard to deal with such a cold person.

Again, what a hypocrite.

He didn't want to admit it, but she was practically like the female version of him. To be fair, though, he had somewhat mellowed out over the years, so she was more like his uptight, distant, kid self. It was quite amusing if he put it that way, and ironically enough, it gave him the much needed clue a bit.

Just treat her like how Matsumoto used to treat him in the past.

Well, he wouldn't go that far for sure, but he got the basic, and it shouldn't be that hard to put into practice.

He was not that hopeless.

Determined, Toushiro Hitsugaya made an effort to be relatively easygoing for the first time in history as he got out of the room. It was just so out of character of him that he knew it would be simply awkward, but as a mature adult, he had to give it a try. First, he just needed to see that Schnee woman, and...

His breath was taken away without warning.

How strange.

It was just the woman he needed to see standing with her arms crossed there a few steps away outside the door. She had simply changed from her uniform into some modest blouse and pants. There was no other noticeable difference in her appearance except for her hair no longer tied up in a bun.

Dammit.

His heart skipped a bit for some reason.

How absurd.

It was just hair being let freely down. No matter how surprisingly soft and nice it made her look, it didn't change the fact that it was just a different hairdo. The face was still that same uptight, distant, dignified, lovely...

Dammit.

This was not happening...

What a nonsense.

He had no business with this kind of thing, and surely, the same went to her. She and he were that similar after all. And they said opposites attract, so this had to be a mistake. Not that he had ever come remotely close to being attracted to someone of his opposite personality. In fact, he would never admit it, but his first ever crush was none other than the Tres Espada who was like another female version of himself personality wise, so...

Dammit.

He had no time for this. He was only here with a genuine intention of making up with her, not lamely confessing or something as ridiculous. Not that she would ever response in kind. The clear disdain in her eyes told that much as they narrowed at him coldly.

Alright, he got this.

"So..." It was much harder than he thought. "How do I look?"

"Out of place."

"... True."

How painfully awkward.

She didn't seem to care about it, though, not even giving his new look a once over as she kept her eyes narrowed at him.

"You don't belong here." The disdain eventually turned into hostility. "I refrain myself from telling the general about that disturbing personal problem you had because I still feel indebted to you. But it really disappoints me that you could stoop so low as to take advantage of the situation without thinking that your presence alone could bring grave danger here to Atlas as a whole."

She was not wrong here. Her concern was perfectly reasonable as a good soldier who prioritized her people and country above all. It was truly admirable of her that he couldn't help giving her a soft look of understanding.

"Please tell the general that I've changed my mind then. Before I leave, however, I just want you to know that I am bound by a lifetime responsibility to not bring any harm to the livings at all cost unless necessary. That is my oath as a sworn guardian of souls."

"..."

"Farewell, Miss Schnee. I am truly glad that we met."

That was it.

Winter finally got what she wanted. Was it really what she wanted, though?

Irrelevant.

It was for the best, she tried to convince herself as she silently watched him go back briefly into the room to take back his little belongings before finally leaving with one gentle nod in her direction.

Where was her sigh of relief then?

Why did her eyes become misty?

Why did her heart feel stung?

What had she done?!

Honestly, she didn't know.

She still thought that it was best for him to be gone from Atlas or even Remnant. His true power was something that went far beyond anyone's comprehension in this world, she had seen it firsthand. And she had the right to worry because she had also seen that despite his convincing composure, his self control had been impaired enough to not be trusted with such power completely anymore. The fact that he had been 'weakened' didn't help because it could also mean that with it, the someone that even he considered dangerous would possibly come here after him instead.

It was really for the best that she drove him away regardless her feelings about it, but somehow, the unexpected understanding he showed her in return only made it simply unbearable. That was why there was nothing she could do then but act on those feelings as for the first time in her life, her heart decided something for her.

She needed him back...

Not giving any further thought on her strange feelings, much less her not that presentable appearance, she opened her front door hurriedly, and ran. He might be gone already, considering how fast he was, she was aware of that. It might be hopeless, but desperation knew no reason even for someone like her. She just clung to that cold, comforting feel of his Aura that for some reason she could still feel even now.

... And there he was!

Her awaited sigh of relief finally came as her frantic eyes eventually caught him familiarly standing in the sky, the sky of Atlas this time. It felt like some kind of deja vu then as she instinctively formed a glyph to take her close to his somewhat somber figure. This time, it was him who seemed to be lost in thought. With that strange, faraway look he had, he didn't even seem to notice her appear before him.

It was her turn to speak first.

"I am sorry."

"... You have nothing to be sorry about, Miss Schnee."

"It was really rude and inconsiderate of me."

"... You were just being rational."

"Sorry all the same, Toushiro..."

"..."

He was not lost for words. In fact, by his ever so cool expression as he finally looked her in the face, it appeared that he was patiently giving her a chance to speak up her feelings. And she was simply grateful for that.

"Honestly, it seems my worry and perhaps even insecurity got the better of me. I too am truly glad we met, but I can't help feeling simply helpless compared to you after being confident of my own self and abilities for so long. It's not envy, I assure you." She frowned in a bit of frustration. "I just..."

"I know."

"... You do?"

"I too more or less had experienced a similar thing a long time ago." He looked away slightly in remembrance. "There were times I and the others were losing a deciding battle, and one particular hero had to save the day each time despite it being our full responsibility. It wasn't an easy thing to accept for sure, but the fact that it all turned out for the better was all that mattered. Therefore, I just kept it to myself, and dealt with my personal failure in the only way I knew."

"... Which is?

"Train myself to death so the same failure would not repeat again."

"..."

She was lost for words here obviously. It had not even crossed her mind that he had not always been so powerful. But her apparent disbelief somehow made him smile faintly as he looked back at her.

"They call me a prodigy, but I would've been long death before I could even get myself anywhere without trying, without training. It might seem crude, but for one who lives to fight like me, it is actually an effective mean to understand our self better. Overcoming worry and insecurity is just a part of it."

"That... makes sense actually." She nodded softly in understanding before looking at him suddenly with a familiar curious look. "Say, with some training, could I be... near as strong as you are now at the very least?"

"No."

"Oh."

She felt more dejected than she cared to show or even admit, but he noticed, and without much thought, decided on something rather unusual.

"Though, if you like, perhaps I could help you learn somethings useful."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up in hope. "I mean, of course. I agree."

"Alright. I suppose some of the basics would do." He then looked down slightly in interest at her glyph. "It would serve more on improving your combat capacity since you have quite an interesting ability already."

The light compliment came as such a pleasant surprise.

"Ah, the Glyphs. It's my family's unique Semblance. I didn't expect someone of your caliber would even find it interesting enough to notice, though."

"It is interesting indeed, reminding me somewhat of some ability I once faced off against."

"Really?" Her eyes widened slightly. "You mean you've known someones with ability similar to the Schnee's? Who are they if I may ask?"

The Quincy

"... Just a near extinct race now."

Even after being involved in a bloody war with their empire, the former Shinigami Captain had nothing personal against the race as a whole. Both sides had been at fault for over a thousand years, and in the end, it only came down to stopping the one which had been too far gone into darkness. He knew he had left all hostility behind with the end of the war, and would not show it again without reason to the remaining few.

Not that this curious female he found here in a different world could possibly be a Quincy...

He kept something from her, she just knew it, though tried to not let it get the better of her this time. She found herself really wanting to make up with him as she watched him being lost in thought again. And here, she finally gave herself a chance to appreciate his new look in this style of uniform. There was no harm in telling him her opinion, she decided then on a whim.

"You look great by the way... like a true Atlesian."

* * *

**Remnant's otherworldly visitors both got new looks here, though one is limited in clothing****** only**. I just think that Toushi would look seriously out of place if he stayed in his Shihakusho. Besides, I can't be the only fan of him in Wandenreich uniform.**


	3. blood

**As shown in the previous chapter, it seems like our icy pair of protagonists have involuntarily started to have a thing for each other with the male trying to ignore it and the female stubbornly refusing to even acknowledge it. It might be too soon, but it would take forever for the romance to play out for someones like them if it didn't start early on. I even wonder if it's possible for maybe some hot tension to develop between such cold characters despite practically living together now.  
**

**Warning: a bit of suggestive theme perhaps?**

**03**

* * *

Ten years...

Here, as he sat contemplatively in the Schnee woman's luxurious living room, the supposedly Shinigami Royal Guard made sure to remain calm at the realization that it would take approximately ten years for his 'human' state to wear off. He had just figured it out after taking the time to make a specific calculation by putting the fact that he was in a different world into consideration. Even though he was the one who invented the technique responsible for this predicament, it had not crossed his mind before surprisingly enough that not being in a spiritual world would prolong the process considerably.

It seemed that his brief streak of luck he had in Hueco Mundo had run out as soon as he arrived here in Remnant.

He did not regret his rather rash decision of sacrificing his power back then, not at all, but still...

In his current state, the thought that he was actually here to hunt down the most powerful Arrancar in history was downright laughable, not that he had even the slightest intention of quitting. It would only make things difficult, but nowhere impossible for someone of his caliber. He might have lost the majority of his power, but all his skills and experience still remained perfectly fine. He was also more than capable enough to find strategic solution regardless the situation. In fact, he already had one in consideration here.

Shiso Kekkai

The 'Quad Burial Barrier' should be sufficient to seal the Arrancar again at least until enough of his power returned to finish it off for good. And the best part was, despite being one of the top Kido spells, it did not rely heavily on spiritual power like the rests to perform. Instead, the practitioner's proficiency in the art would be the deciding factor. That and the four special halberds required for it. Fortunately, Reishi, the main resource of the afterlife necessary to create them didn't seem out of reach even here in a world of the living.

Dust

He had learned very early that the famous material in Remnant was actually a condensed form of Reishi that somehow naturally existed in this strange world. As fascinating as it was, however, he had close to no interest in learning the reason. He had never been a member of Twelfth Division, so his thought was only focused on how to utilize this newfound knowledge for his objective.

Feeling satisfied enough to take a break, Toushiro took a sip of his coffee.

It had taken until this late at night on his first day here to come up with a real solution, but he was not about to complain. In fact, as his gaze subtly traveled to the woman sitting comfortably across from him, he considered his luck had somewhat returned. Not because she was such a beauty, well, not only that at least. As unlikely as it was, he currently appreciated more the coincidental fact that she came from a family famous for their Dust company, thus she should have no problem helping him in this matter.

He was really glad to be her acquaintance. As he carefully met her somewhat half lidded gaze, however, he got the feeling that she was about to change his mind a bit. At this hour, she looked to be sleepy enough to let her self restrain slip and her curiosity get out of hand.

"Say, Toushiro... Is it possible for a soul, Shinigami like you in particular, and a human like me to reproduce together?"

"..."

It was quite commendable of him not to spout out the coffee he drank at the unexpected and absolutely unnecessary question.

Earlier, after they returned to her place, he had finally relented to just satisfy her curiosity. There was no harm in it, really, since everything he told her held close to no relevance in this world. She also had no reason to believe him, though it seemed that she did for some reason, even the fact that he was basically a 'soul reaper'. Thus, as he spent all evening thinking to himself, barely engaged in their conversation, he offhandedly answered her every question to her satisfaction until she knew almost too much already.

Most likely, that was the sole reason the woman even cared keeping him company till this late at night, and she seemed to confirm it with her persistence.

"Well?"

"... Who knows?" He put down his cup of coffee uneasily. "The only case that I know of is only about one particular stupid Shinigami who lost his power on a mission, but instead of reporting back immediately, he got himself an artificial human body to marry someone he just met there."

"... Sounds stupid."

Exactly!

"I couldn't agree more."

"Your case seems to be different, though, just by the fact that you've practically become a human, human male, one that looks perfectly healthy in my opinion." She frowned in seemingly deeper contemplation than necessary. "Now, let's say you marry me too... What's the chance we're able to have a child together?"

"..."

What could he say really?

He was more than certain that she'd never allow such a scandalous question to come out of her mouth if she was not this sleepy. Regardless, the harm was done already. He couldn't stop his traitorously lovesick mind from imagining the scene she said without much care quite vividly...

Dammit.

It didn't help at all that her sleepiness apparently didn't affect her persistence.

"Well?"

How about they both just find out together here?

Actually, such a bold answer tempted him for a brief moment, but since he was Toushiro Hitsugaya, he only had it in him to come out with something lame.

"... About time for you to go to sleep, Miss Schnee."

―

In a cold, harsh valley north of Atlas, a mass of wild Grimm gathered dangerously. Loud snarls came left and right as their murderous attention was all focused on the pair of humans in Atlesian Military uniforms standing in the air above them. None of them cared who those two were even though they absolutely should if only they were not so mindless, or to be exact, had become so mindless.

It was quite pitiful ironically enough.

After being sent in plenty of important, high risk missions like this in the last few weeks, the male one in uniform had learned enough about the dark creatures they were specialized in dealing. In fact, he had drawn quite a concrete conclusion thus far. It was just as he had presumed early on that those creatures originated from the beings he was sworn to fight back in his world.

Hollow

No one in Remnant of course had ever thought that these Creatures of Grimm were in actuality souls, albeit damned ones. It was understandable, considering that the concept of Aura didn't apply to them. However, everyone seemed to simply assume this as them having no souls, somehow missing the point that to project Aura in the first place required emotions, the things these creatures no longer possessed.

What actually happened as they crossed into this world was still a mystery, but their current lack of Hollow holes, the aspect that defined their old existence, explained enough. The result was akin to the mindless and indistinguishable Menos Grande, but here, they evolved into those standard forms of Grimm. More importantly, it freed them from all the negative emotions that encompassed their beings as Hollow.

The whole thing in a sense seemed like them going into a promised land to receive the salvation they unknowingly needed...

Alas, not unlike the creation of Menos Grande, whatever actually happened apparently also stripped them of the sentience they originally had regardless the twisted natures, resulting in them eventually being driven by instinct to seek the emotions they lost as they found the livings in this world.

It was indeed pitiful.

Like a curse.

Like these poor souls had not been damned enough already back in their original world.

As a being existed to purify them even through violence, he couldn't help but feel sympathy to what had become of them here in this strange world. He could afford to not even blink as he struck down those that still had and showed their negative emotions, knowing that what he did was to free them. The same, for some reason, was not that simple here as he watched them appear more like pitiful beasts that needed to be put out of their misery.

Whoever responsible for this deserved absolute divine judgement of Shinigami.

He kept standing calmly in thought for a moment until one of the creatures, a lone flying-type called Nevermore, took the opportunity to strike. He paid it no mind, however. There was no doubt he was more than capable of eliminating it effortlessly without even looking, but this time, he just let his partner who stood beside him handle it. And of course, she too had no problem with it as one skillful slash of her sword dispatched the dangerous creature quickly.

The Schnee woman had become quite skilled, it seemed, at least in Zanjutsu. She still had a long way to go in Hoho despite apparently having no more need of her glyph just to stand in the air. Somehow, she had difficulty learning advanced Shinigami abilities, even for a human. He had mentioned it to her before, but it seemed to hurt her slightly, so he refrained from doing it again. Their partnership was already pretty much overkill anyway that it hadn't taken long for the most dangerous mission concerning Grimm to be assigned mostly to just the two of them.

Well, it was about time to complete this one too. All these exceptionally feral Grimm had to be cleared out so Atlas or SDC to be exact could access the hidden Dust reserves underneath the valley. No more wasting time with pointless sentimentality, he thought to himself as he prepared a Hado spell.

"Kunrinsha yo. Chiniku no kamen, bansho, habataki, hito no na o kansu mono yo. Shinri to sessei, tsumi shiranu yume no kabe ni wazuka ni tsume o tate yo." His hand moved casually to point down at the ground. "Hado #33. Sokatsui."

At once, a torrent of bluish energy left his hand as he sent it crashing down in a large, devastating wave. And it seemed to be enough to incinerate most of the targets caught in the blast. The blinding burst of light it emitted in the process convinced his partner of this as she quickly turned to him with a frown.

"Toushiro. Are you sure you're only at five percent of your power here?"

"Yes?"

"Do you expect me to still believe you after seeing that one?"

"You have a reason not to. Though, to be fair, I normally could use the same spell to produce a far stronger blast without the need of incantation."

"Really?" Her frown deepened. "Do you expect me to feel better now after telling me that?"

They both knew thus far, despite her natural talent in combat, she failed miserably learning even the starting spells of Kido...

"I'm sorry." He winced inwardly. "I didn't mean to show off."

"If you think I'm envious, you're mistaken. I'm just frustrated."

That was true.

He knew well enough already that she couldn't tolerate failures, personal ones even more so. Too bad for him, he was just that bad at comforting others, not that he dared expect her to wish it from him. Thus, as usual, here all he could do was try to help her get herself back together.

"Have I told you that the infamous Eleventh Division Captain, arguably the current strongest Shinigami in Gotei 13, has absolutely no clue about Kido?"

"No?"

"Well, what you maybe should keep in mind here is sometimes you need only to focus on the thing you're proficient with to succeed. And I know for a fact that you have already shown a quite formidable proficiency in Zanjutsu, so that has to mean something."

"... Really?"

"Of course." He gave her a look of encouragement before looking back down toward the ground. "Now, if you like, you may practice your skills even more by eliminating those still left by the blast. Some seem to be strong enough to survive it."

Just as he pointed out, several larger than normal Grimm still stood menacingly amidst the destruction despite the damages they had unavoidably suffered. The sight made his frustrated partner perk up slightly even though such a thing would filled her with dread back before she met him. She felt much more confident now for sure as she glanced back at him.

"Do not interfere no matter what. Understood?"

An affirmative nod was the only answer she got, but it satisfied her enough.

With a light smirk of confidence, she dove down gracefully toward an Alpha Beowolf that soon fell down in two pieces by a practiced slash of her sword. Another one came her way as soon as she landed, but it barely mattered. In a flash, she rushed past the lumbering form, slashing it in half like the previous one as she did. She was unbelievably fast for sure, but what she did couldn't be considered as Shunpo yet since she could only use it in short bursts of speed. Even so, it still proved to be very effective as she combined it with Zanjutsu to cut down more and more Grimm before they could even fight back.

Her confidence seemed to reach an all time high here.

That was until her lack of proficiency in Hoho eventually showed.

She tried not to think how embarrassing it was as she stumbled down ungracefully. There was really no time for that because all of a sudden, the white half of an Elder King Taijitu crashed down its open mouth to her hard enough to nearly deplete her somewhat average level Aura. She retaliated immediately by slicing the head off from within the mouth before forming a glyph underneath her body to get herself away. It was not enough, however, so she summoned her own white-blue Beowolf to hold off the remaining half of the injured Grimm.

Time to take this seriously.

Another direct hit like that could prove to be fatal for her. And what she feared here came without warning just as she tried to get up. Her body was sent flying backward by a sudden swipe right to her stomach from the largest Death Stalker's stinger she had ever seen. It should've been enough to break through what remained of her Aura and severely injure her, but somehow, it wasn't the case. She didn't give it much thought, however. Finally getting back on her feet, she rushed down without any hesitation to kill her attacker.

Before long, each one of the leftover Grimm had fallen down by her sword and disappeared from the valley. She smiled in satisfaction, watching her partner finally come down to join her. For some reason, however, there was a strange look in his eyes.

"Miss Schnee." He looked her directly in the face. "Please open your shirt."

"... Excuse me?!"

"Please. Open your shirt now. There's something important I need to confirm quickly."

"And what is that?!" She glared in disbelief. "If you want to compare my bust size with your lover's back home, you obviously shouldn't bother."

"What are you talking about?" He had the audacity to frown in confusion. "I don't even have a lover..."

Eh?

Could she be mistaken here?

"No. You do have one." She scowled accusingly. "The unbelievably busty woman practically always clung to you in the photos I found in your old Scroll."

"... Matsumoto."

"Huh?"

"That could only be my lazy old Lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto." He sighed tiredly. "She just loved to act that way, so you're not to blame for making such an assumption. We've been overly close, admittedly, but definitely never been lovers. I have known her since I was a kid before I even become a Shinigami, so she's more like a sister to me perhaps, an all too annoying and troublesome older sister."

"Oh."

This was honestly a relief to her, but still embarrassing. She seriously considered apologizing, but then the previous strange look suddenly returned to his eyes. He once again looked her directly like nothing else mattered to him at the moment.

"Miss Schnee, please. Open your shirt."

"..."

"Miss Schnee..."

This was not fair.

She couldn't look his way as she felt her face reddened. Her fingers, however, already began to work. She didn't know what came over her here, but she found herself simply unable to refuse him. It was not until the front of her body was only left covered from his view by a simple bra that she finally looked him back. To her unexpected irritation, however, he didn't bother to stop and have even just a brief look at her sizable breasts as his gaze traveled down to her stomach.

A sudden realization hit her.

He was not becoming some kind of pervert all of a sudden.

No.

He only wanted to check if she received any injury from earlier...

The thought filled her with a pleasant warmth for sure as she tried to see for herself too. But then her eyes widened instantly at what she found. There was no injury, no, not any trace. Instead, what looked to be a strange, bluish pattern could be found on the smooth skin of her stomach, seemingly tracing the veins underneath. It was only faint, and began to disappear already. Nonetheless, what she saw made her look up at him in shock.

"What was that?!"

"Blut."

"What?"

"Blut Vene." He met her eyes calmly. "There is no mistaking it. It is a bloodline type ability that has apparently activated automatically earlier to protect your body after your Aura became no longer sufficient for it."

That at least explained why she came out unscathed after receiving an attack that should've gravely injured her.

"If that is true, though, why has it never happened before?" It still didn't completely make sense to her. "In my line of work, this was not the first time I got into a life threatening situation."

"Most likely because of my presence. That alone should be enough for it to naturally consider me as a threat and eventually awaken."

"..."

She looked simply lost now, but after getting the confirmation he needed, he decided to just come outright with his suspicion.

"I suppose it also explains why you have real difficulty learning Shinigami abilities."

"Why?"

"For some reason, Quincy blood runs thickly in your veins, Miss Schnee."

"... Quincy?" She blinked slowly in recognition. "The polar opposite of Shinigami?"

"Yes. The same near extinct race that supposedly has ever existed only in my world."

This was definitely the most bizarre news she had ever heard in her life. No one would blame her here if she actually laughed in his handsome face. She could find no reason to doubt him and his expertise, though.

"... But how?"

"We can only guess. However, to be able to activate Blut naturally despite not being a pure-blood, there is no doubt that at least one of your close ancestors was a Quincy. They most likely came to this world the same way that I did."

"I wonder who..." She thought hard about it. "The only notable one that I know of was my grandfather, but it is known that he was a native here, just an honest hard worker famous for founding the family's company."

"Don't rule him out quickly. Quincy are known for fine deceptions."

―

Being a Quincy...

It just felt surreal, but Winter would be lying if she said she wasn't excited. She couldn't help feeling proud even despite not yet really knowing the full extent of what might possibly come with it. Maybe it was simply in her blood.

Her Quincy blood.

With it, she could hope to be Toushiro Hitsugaya's equal at last, and she couldn't be happier. This was honestly the main reason she gladly accepted the truly shocking revelation in the end. There was still no way for her to ever come close to his real power of course, she understood that completely, but this was more than enough for her. She was content and happy enough to know that he didn't seem so out of reach anymore.

There was also no denying that from what she heard so far, Quincy just seemed so amazing. Their abilities, despite being depicted to be unbelievably powerful, more than enough to rival even Shinigami, appeared more like arts. This just suited her character perfectly in her opinion.

Pure-blood or not, Winter Schnee was born to be Quincy. It might be destiny that even though she was born here in Remnant, far from Quincy's home world, her blood still awakened eventually to reveal her heritage. Perhaps it was ironic that the cause was a Shinigami, the polar opposite of Quincy, but to her, it only made the whole thing feel all the more like destiny.

Meeting him was her destiny.

Sadly, no matter how experienced her Shinigami partner was with Quincy, he couldn't possibly help her develop her newfound power for obvious reason. It was quite a shame really because she secretly enjoyed being trained by him in the past few weeks. Nonetheless, she was left with no choice but try to trace her hidden Quincy heritage in the hope that it would at least give her some clue.

Grandfather Nicholas had been the first to come to mind. What everyone knew about him was he had been a great person, far greater than her father could ever hope to be, but a native of this world nonetheless, based on the official story. That alone should've automatically ruled out the possibility of him being her Quincy ancestor. Even so, her intuition or maybe her blood told her to learn more about him. It might as well because all she knew personally about him was only from childhood memory since he had passed away for quite long.

However...

From what she had learned, Quincy, pure-bloods mostly, could only be killed, not simply pass away. That meant her grandfather, if he had really been a Quincy, had not simply died of bad health. That or, as unlikely as it was, he had in actuality not really died as everyone believed, and only disappeared for some reason. Maybe he was even still alive somewhere in secret. She knew she might be getting ahead of herself here, but the possibility, as slim as it was, sure made her genuinely hopeful.

In fact, she had been more hopeful than ever in the days following the revelation of her heritage that she even scheduled visiting home as soon as possible, something in recent years, she had always avoided doing if possible.

It should come as no surprise then that she began to regret it already.

Her plan at first was just to go home and ask for the key to her grandfather's old study. She had been certain that her mother would give it to her without care or even looking at her. It had seemed so simple that she had not given it any further thought. She should have really, because that was her first mistake. To be fair, though, it had not even crossed her mind that her mother would be on a whole different level of drunk as soon as she was introduced to her partner who needed to come along for this.

In result, instead of getting the needed key, the two of them were forced to have lunch first with the lady of the house.

This was like a torture.

Winter obviously had never brought a boy home before. The fact that she had never even cared about such things aside, it went without a doubt that everyone in her family except maybe her little sister would response badly to it. Thus, she had not been prepared at all here as they sat together at the dining table to see her mother of all people smiling dreamily at her partner who technically could be considered a boy too.

It irritated her much more than she liked to admit.

"Mother, please." She tried to be patient. "You should've known even better than me that it is very rude to stare at a guest especially during meal."

"Daughter, please. What is wrong with me showing my sincere appreciation to my own soon to be son in law?" The mother pretended to look innocent before looking back to the guest. "Just look at his eyes! Winter, I want at least one grandchild with the same gorgeous eyes."

"..."

"A grandson would be a good start."

Seriously...

"Mother." Now she really wondered how drunk her mother actually was this time. "How many times do I need to tell you that Secret-Specialist Hitsugaya here is my work partner, nothing more, nothing less?"

"I am disappointed in you, young lady. You'd really never get married if you stay being that stubborn."

"It's not like I even need to. As a professional officer, I am already married to my job first and foremost."

"That is exactly why I've been so against you joining the military and you lost your right as an heiress to the family!"

"If you still think such a thing matters to me, you'll be disappointed even more."

How heated.

How awkward.

The Schnee's lone guest silently wished he was anywhere else at the moment. He'd much rather be in some three way battle with an Espada and Sternritter without any doubt than being stuck here with these arguing mother and daughter. It had been quite uncomfortable listening to the clearly inebriated mother's baseless assumption about him and her daughter, but he could still handle it well enough, unlike this. All he could do then was clear his throat uneasily, hoping to break the heated tension.

Thankfully, the mother snapped out of it quickly before returning her attention to the guest with an apologetic smile.

"Please forgive us, son. I'm not usually like this, and my Winter, well, she really could be that difficult sometimes. I hope you could understand."

"No harm's done, ma'am. I'm no stranger with difficult persons."

"Oh, really?" Her eyes widened in exaggerated surprise. "I would've never thought such a thing by your exquisite upbringing alone."

Really, he had been one exceptionally polite and well mannered guest.

"I appreciate the kind words, but as a mere commoner who used to deal with all kind of characters, I don't think Miss Schnee is that much difficult."

"Commoner?" Her eyes widened again. "Here I honestly thought you came from nobility or even royalty."

"You're too kind."

"And you're too good, even for my daughter here." She looked truly sincere for some reason. "I'm sorry. It's just... you really remind me of my father..."

Interesting.

That one definitely got the daughter's attention. She had been focused on her meal somewhat begrudgingly to avoid speaking with her mother. At the mention of her grandfather, however, she stopped immediately and looked up in thinly veiled interest.

"What makes you say so, mother, aside from maybe the resemblance in their features?"

"Well, the same cold yet comforting presence for one... like a winter guardian..."

No one possibly noticed the literal guardian wince inwardly.

With a soft, melancholic look, the mother carefully took something from her dress pocket. It appeared to be a thin silver chain with an ornate, pentacle cross pendant. Having seen it quite often before, the daughter easily recognized it as the keepsake her mother inherited from her grandfather. Surprisingly, however, their guest from another world also recognized it, but as an entirely different thing.

"Ma'am." He hesitated slightly. "I see that thing belonged to your father, but if I may be so bold, would you mind letting me take a look at it for a moment?"

"Oh, of course not, son!" She happily handed it to him before standing up. "Now please excuse me for a moment too. I seem to remember that I promised this difficult daughter of mine something earlier."

About time.

As her mother left, Winter inwardly sighed in relief, glad that she would get what she wanted at last. However, she stopped thinking about it for a moment as she looked to check on her partner sitting across from her. His attention was still focused on the silver little thing, and it made her curious now.

"What's so special about it?"

"For Quincy, nothing much."

"Oh." Her eyes widened instantly. "Wait, what? Quincy?"

"Without a doubt. The cross is definitely in the shape of Quincy Zeichen. It is really nothing much for them, however, just a standard equipment acting as the focus for their signature spirit weapon, Heilig Bogen."

This was the confirmation she needed...

"For me, it means quite a lot, doesn't it?"

"Correct." He finally looked at her to hand it to her. "It should prove that you inherited your Quincy blood from your grandfather, Miss Schnee."

"Then." She held it tentatively in front of her. "How do I use it?"

"Just let your blood guide you, I suppose."

As a Shinigami, he really couldn't help her much here. His genuine effort was still more than appreciated, though. She had come to believe almost every word he said. This time was no different as she took a breath before closing her eyes lightly to do as he told her. And soon enough, she felt some kind of strange energy slowly gather and concentrate into the cross. Her eyes instantly opened then as something cold burst forth from the hand holding the chain.

Heilig Bogen?

No, the icy blue energy had still not yet managed to take a concrete form, and didn't even appear like a bow, to her puzzlement.

"... A sword?"

"It seems that Quincy's spirit weapon automatically takes shape of one the user's most proficient with, usually a bow according to their old tradition, but in your case, a sword." He shrugged lightly. "There's nothing wrong with it. In fact, you should be glad that this world for some reason has abundant spirit particles in the air, allowing you to manifest it on your first try."

"I see..." She smiled proudly. "Then I will call it... Eiskreuz."

She couldn't wait to see its complete form as she watched in pure fascination. Unfortunately, it disappeared all too soon with her concentration slipping away at her mother's return. Not wanting to arise any suspicion, she proceeded to pretend nothing happened as she accepted the key at last.

The mother still raised an eyebrow at this.

"What's wrong with you? And why the sudden interest in your grandfather's belonging?"

"Sorry."

The daughter was about to dejectedly return it, but surprisingly, being stopped.

"Keep it. You are supposed to inherit it after me, anyway."

"R- Really?" Her eyes widened at her mother's unexpected smile. "Thank you..."

"Sure. In return, just remember to visit your little sister in Vale during the soon coming Vytal Festival." The smile turned rather mischievous then as she glanced at their guest. "And, oh, make sure to bring your intended here along with you. Weiss should be introduced to her future brother in law as soon as possible."

"..."

Seriously.

She should've seen that coming, but she was satisfied enough with how everything turned out so far that she decided not to talk back. Thus, as they continued with their lunch, she just endured silently listening to her mother planning about her happily married future. It kind of impressed her, though, to see her usually aloof partner still manage to stay cool and even play along here and there with her mother's nonsense. In fact, she had to admit by the end, inwardly of course, that he already looked just like a perfect son in law for the family whether he knew it or not.

There was no harm in fantasizing if only for a moment.

Once they both finally parted with her mother, she locked away any unnecessary thoughts immediately. With the needed key in her hand, she focused only on the real reason of their visit here as they walked down in silence through the spacious hallways of the manor. And before long, they found themselves standing before the door to her grandfather's old study that she opened without hesitation to get in.

It seemed that someone, most likely her mother, visited the room quite frequently, seeing the relatively clean and well cared condition. The thought made her admittedly rather low respect for her grow considerably, but she saved it for later. There was something more important to focus on currently.

"Well?" She turned to her partner. "What should we be looking for here?"

"His journal if possible. It is important first and foremost to learn the truth behind your heritage."

"I understand, but how would that help develop my power?"

That was way too pragmatic and cold even for her.

"Miss Schnee." He patiently looked her in the face. "All evidences so far point out that your grandfather did not wish anyone even in his family to learn about anything concerning Quincy. What is the chance then that he would just leave some knowledge about their dangerous power lying around?"

"... You have a point." She looked down slightly in shame. "Sorry."

Thus, they began looking, tough only Winter for the most part since her partner seemed to strictly mind his place here, not wanting to cross the boundary. She honestly respected that even though she could really use his help more here. Thankfully, it didn't take very long for her to find what she was sure to be what they were looking for in the form of an old, worn, leather bound book.

"This seems to be it."

"Good. You may read it yourself."

"No..." She hesitated a bit before handing it to him. "You do it first, and tell me what's in there later. It would save time with your knowledge."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

With that, she moved to take a seat behind the wooden work desk, and patiently waited as he read on the opposite seat. She didn't mind really because it gave her a chance to just admire him in secret. It was only with him that she could accept thoroughly and willingly being reminded of her flaws, and somehow, it really meant something for her. A soft, appreciative smile formed on her face as she kept her eyes on him, not really aware the time passed by until he closed the book eventually and looked back at her.

"It states that Nicholas Schnee, known here as the original Sternritter R, defected from Wandenreich several months prior to their first invasion on Soul Society, and headed straight to Hueco Mundo to escape being hunted by the Jagdarmee and even other Sternritter."

"Sternritter?" She stood up in surprise. "My grandfather used to be not just any Quincy, but one of those crazy Sternritter you mentioned before?"

"I've never heard of this one, but yes. Sternritter R. The Replica." He frowned in thought. "As it seems, that particular Schrift of his might be the origin of your family's unique summon ability."

That seemed to perfectly make sense.

"I've never thought he could be so powerful."

"It's mentioned here that he practically lost his Quincy power on his journey to this world."

Ouch.

"How?"

"In Hueco Mundo, he found the ruins of a temple, the same one that I found, where the portals to Remnant are located underneath. He didn't realize it until it was too late that they contained the essence of Hollow, something you've learned to be poison for Quincy. It almost costed him life, not just power."

"That might've been the real cause of his bad health... Is there a chance he could still be alive somewhere?" She uncertainly searched his eyes. "Toushiro?"

"... Who knows?"

It was his turn to be particularly cold somehow as he intentionally avoided her eyes. This made her frown in confusion and feel honestly hurt. She was about ready to question him, but stopped herself abruptly as she painfully realized something. The cold look that had settled on his face told her enough that despite all his support, he in actuality did not like any of this.

Terrible pasts were not simply forgotten after all.

There was once an ugly war between Shinigami and Quincy, built from over a thousand years of bloody history.

Both sides were polar opposites for a reason, fundamental reason.

The same inevitably went to the two of them now.

It was destiny.

He would always remain out of her reach no matter what...

* * *

**Obviously, the whole thing about original Sternritter R is something I made up on my own. I don't limit myself from doing such things, though I always make sure to make it as believable as possible. Anyway, now that Winter is ******confirmed **a Quincy, let's hope for her eventual Vollstandig form! Maybe?**


	4. regret

**It's been implied a bit in the last chapter, but here is where we'll actually see the time the story takes place in the series. This doesn't necessarily mean I intend to follow the canon plot, not at all. The focus is still on this story's own plot ****** developments with some **character introductions. But, first, let's start with a little flashback from a long forgotten past.**

**04**

* * *

_It was practically unheard of for Captain-level Shinigami to set foot directly in the world of the living. Their powers even with limiter were simply too much for regular Hollow threats and certainly living humans close by. They were after all the ones who fully embodied their namesake as death gods. In the thousands year of their history, there had only been one case in which their full forces had to be deployed._

_The fateful war ___for the balance of the world _with the Quincy's Empire of Light, Lichtreich, that ended__ with the supposed demise of the Quincy's homicidal Emperor._

_In the aftermath, despite the victory, the situation still remained dire but more by the dangerous result of powerful spiritual beings releasing too much power in the place they were never supposed to be. This eventually led to even stricter regulations about ___ Captain-level Shinigami's presence in _____the world of the living.__ For centuries that followed, they were permitted there only for the most important missions with__ the most serious potential for danger. Such a mission had come up recently, one that required a few number of Captains to be assigned in secret._

_One of them was the new Captain of the Tenth Division, the youngest Captain in history, the child prodigy, __Toushiro Hitsugaya__._

_In all honesty, he felt very uncomfortable with this, not because it was his first assignment as a Captain, but more about the simply inhumane nature of it._

_This was not about Hollow._

_No, not at all._

_Once again, it had everything to do with the polar opposite of Shinigami, Quincy._

_Apparently, even the war had not been enough to resolve the fundamental differences between them. It had not helped at all in a sense because the bloody conflicts still continued on afterward until it was said that the majority of Quincy were wiped out over two hundred years ago. It did not stop there, however, because recently, a dreadful issue had arisen about the second coming of Quincy empire.  
_

_The Invisible Empire..._

_True to the name, even the Onmitsukido had failed to locate the whereabouts. However, instead of putting the issue to rest, this only made it ___all the more concerning. ___It was after all based on the foreboding Kaiser Gesang from old Quincy legends, something that should never be taken lightly. In the end, to not repeat the near thousand year old war, the Central 46 secretly ordered select few Captains of the Gotei 13 to take over the matter ___directly.__

__Capture every single one of the several hundreds illegal Quincy left in hiding and bring them to Soul Society.__

__Kill on the spot if not possible.  
__

__No question.__

_The young Captain hated how helpless he was as he stood alone in the dark. His naturally cold nature made all the ___snow falling down upon his figure feel like nothing, but he still found himself unable to move. He could only stare forlornly from a close distance at the lone house the mission had led him to.  
__

__Here, in a cold______ Germany__ mountainside, an old Quincy known as 'the immortal______ ice witch' in the local folklore had been rumored to live __________ alone for centuries. It __________________somewhat______ annoyed him to think that he was specially sent for her just because he was an ice wielder himself, __________________most powerful one in Soul Society______. Even so, he felt more uncomfortable by the fact that she was ________________supposedly an old lady like his grandmother.__________

__________It was simply wrong to be mean to elderly.__________

__________His first mistake was forgetting that for pure blood Quincy, just like powerful Shinigami, their age often barely ____________________mattered in regard to their appearance. Therefore, he was completely caught of guard when the front door suddenly opened to reveal not in any way an old woman. Instead, coming out of the small house worriedly with an umbrella was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen...__________

__________The supposedly centuries old Quincy looked to be just in her mid twenties. Though, she looked mature enough with her modest choice of looks, like how her hair______________________________ was __________________________________________________ tied __________up__________ in a simple bun. The color was nearly as white as his own, he noticed______________________________ as well__________ absentmindedly.  
__________

__________Speechless, he was taken even more by surprise then when____________________ ____________________the woman____________________ pulled him under her umbrella________________________________________ without hesitation or any words____________________ before____________________ leading him______________________________ carefully__________ into her house____________________. He found himself unable to react properly to this strange turn of events. It only got even stranger then____________________ once inside______________________________ with her ____________________________________________________________hurriedly__________ looking at him __________like____________________ she____________________ was lonely, desperate for interaction__________.__________

__________"Say, would you like some ice cream?"__________

__________"..."__________

__________"... Never mind." S______________________________he shifted somewhat awkwardly.__________ "I often forgot that ice cream is not for ______________________________ everyone__________, especially while it's snowing hard outside. I should've offered you some hot stew or -"__________

__________"It's fine. Ice cream is fine."__________

__________His offhand reply took her by surprise, pleasant surprise, but she soon snapped out of it to ______________________________eagerly __________get them both just what she first offered.__________

__________She was truly lonely...__________

__________Later, as they sat face to face at the table, after small introductions, she confirmed her lonely life living alone for so long. She never had a chance to marry and start a family because every suitor she had ever met in the past always found her frigid cold and got put off ____________________despite her beauty. She gave up eventually and______________________________ decided to just live alone, away from people, only to be called a witch, not that she minded, really. A____________________________________________________________fter all, s____________________he in all honesty kept on living this long____________________________________________________________ only____________________ to wait for her younger brother who had left a very long time ago for the____________________________________________________________ Light____________________ Empire.  
____________________

____________________She was such a strict older sister too apparently.____________________

____________________That might've been why the brother left too, the unlikely guest here assumed after listening to her occasional scolding about etiquette particularly on table manners as they ate together. It was perhaps a good thing that he had no chance to thoughtlessly point out that said brother must have been long gone already with the fall of the empire. As soon as they finished, she ________________________________________________________________________________finally____________________ ____________________decided to________________________________________ scold him about something she should've brought up from the start.____________________

____________________"Where are your parents?" Black eyebrows ________________________________________knitted together disapprovingly. "It's dangerous for children to wander alone especially in this weather."____________________

____________________"My unknown parents are irrelevant, and I am not a child." White eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. "... Enough with the nonsense, Quincy. You know what I am."  
____________________

____________________"Yes, I do____________________________________________________________, Shinigami____________________."____________________

____________________"Then why even bother with all this nonsense? Why not show me hostility at first sight?"____________________

____________________"Because you are a child, a powerful Shinigami Captain maybe, but a child all the same." Pale blue eyes narrowed, seeing an objection about to come up. "No matter what you've done for the sake of duty, you're still a child to me, an innocent child..."____________________

____________________This was not her belittling him, not in the slightest. As much as he hated to admit it, she just saw him with care as what he truly was, and he couldn't blame her for that. In honesty, it even made him feel kind of at ease somehow, but it quickly ended as he painfully remembered his mission here.____________________

____________________"Regardless, it is still farfetched to expect that I, a Shinigami, comes to you, a Quincy, with a remotely harmless intention."____________________

____________________"That is too good to be true, yes..." She looked away sadly. "What is it then? Have you lot had enough with us ____________________________________________________________ at last ____________________and decided to put us out of our misery?"____________________

____________________"It's far worse."____________________

____________________"What could be worse than being killed by Shinigami?"____________________

____________________"Captured by Shinigami." He looked away as well. "No one, no Quincy, deserves such a fate."____________________

____________________Only the worst possible nightmares awaited Quincy captured by Shinigami in this day of age.____________________

____________________"I see..." Her lips trembled slightly. "Is there a chance for you to just leave me alone?"____________________

____________________"That would lead to an execution for me, and someone else would inevitably come to finish the mission regardless."____________________

____________________No way, she decided instantly after hearing about his own possible death.____________________

____________________"Then, is it possible for you to help me out so we could____________________________________________________________ escape____________________ together, just the two of us?____________________________________________________________" She looked back at him rather desperately. "____________________Would you be... my hero?"____________________

____________________"... I don't have it in me to be such a thing."____________________

____________________That was much harder to say than he thought. And he felt like the worst piece of thrash as her bright eyes slowly lost their light. He knew it was not simply a matter of her being afraid of the inevitable fate, but more about losing her lifelong hope to reunite with her brother. Surprisingly, then, a soft chuckle left her mouth.____________________

____________________"They____________________________________________________________, even my little brother,____________________ called me a failure of Quincy for my unreasonable fear of dying by Shinigami. ____________________________________________________________But if it's you...____________________" Tears fell down her face as she____________________________________________________________ smiled at him____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ resignedly________________________________________________________________________________. "I don't think I would mind."____________________

____________________She said enough.____________________

____________________He understood enough.____________________

____________________This final, full of resignation decision of hers was what finally broke him and his resolve, but there was just nothing he could do. He cursed his existence silently over and over again as he stood up in defeat with one hand ____________________________________________________________slowly ____________________moving to the hilt of his sword. Here, he felt himself tremble, and if it wasn't for the reassuring nod she gave him, he wouldn't have the strength to hold the sword until the tip was pointed directly to her chest.____________________

____________________"Forgive me." He forced himself to meet her accepting gaze. "I cannot be the hero you need..."____________________

____________________"Forget about that. I am truly glad to meet you in the end nonetheless. L____________________________________________________________et's meet again in a better world.____________________" She ____________________________________________________________gave him ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ one last smile, ____________________such a bittersweet smile____________________. "... Toushiro Hitsugaya."____________________

____________________"Farewell." A lone tear____________________________________________________________ fell down his face right before____________________ his sword finally pierced her heart. "... Win-"____________________

He woke up with a start after being reminded again for the fifth night in a row of the greatest regret in his existence.

His unforgivable mercy...

He had safely locked away the memory a long time ago, and it had not resurfaced since, not until recently.

There was one particular passage within the once Sternritter R's journal about finding out his older sister's murder by a Shinigami Captain. Fury consumed him at once with only one wish for another war to come soon so they could finally wipe out all Shinigami from existence. However, he lost his will to fight once he learned that the one responsible was only a child, knowing well that she would never forgive him if he took revenge still. Even more, he was also to blame, he realized, for leaving her in the first place just for glory with the empire.

All of those had been what compelled The Replica to defect in the end and find a new life in his dear sister's memory.

It all made sense.

It had not taken long for Toushiro Hitsugaya to put things together and realize that the murderer was none other than himself. As he did, the long forgotten memory from that fateful night resurfaced freely. He remembered everything after so long.

Her face had become clear again... her tragically beautiful face... the same face he had unknowingly come to see everyday here in another world.

―

In the blue sky of Vale, a private airship from Atlas was closing in to the city. It was no extraordinary sight, really, until a young man in a white uniform suddenly jumped out of the window. Surprisingly, however, he didn't fall down. He just took off easily as if stepping through a solid ground, making it look like an ordinary thing for him. He didn't seem to care, not even looking back at the female voice calling him in frustration from within the still flying airship.

It was necessary.

He had to get away from her increasingly haunting presence even just for a moment before the weight of guilt could crush him.

Being free in the air like this helped. It might not compare to a real flight with his ice wings, but he was really in no condition to ask for them. Thus, he just kept on moving unhurriedly through the sky, intentionally taking a roundabout way to the city. There was nothing in particular that caught his attention for some times, well, except for one thing.

A curious black bird had come to follow him. He knew this was no ordinary bird by the presence alone. In fact, past experience with Yoruichi Shihoin and her signature black cat form convinced him enough that this was actually a person as well.

Time to prove it.

To be safe, for the questionable bird, of course, he landed on the ground not far away from the city perimeter. As expected, it followed him still. He waited until it took perch on a nearby tree branch before staring in mock contemplation.

"I know birds can be made into nice dishes."

That did it.

The bird seemed to stiffen before eventually transforming. It turned into a female with long hair in a ponytail resembling the now gone feathers not only in color. Her red eyes showed her wariness despite her trying to hide it as she jumped down carefully. Though, soon, she just shrugged and walked closer with a feisty smirk on her attractively mature face.

"You know, if you want to eat me, just say it."

"..."

"What? Not into older women?"

"I'm far older than you possibly are, birdie."

"It's Raven."

Her irritation showed slightly and became even more apparent as she saw him simply walk away from her without another word. Gritting her teeth, she quickly drew her sword before dashing forward to slash his back. However, without even looking back, he sidestepped easily, and it took two more missing slashes from her for him to finally turn to face her.

She was good.

He had to commend her sword skill as her rapid attacks forced him to actually put some effort to avoid without the use of Hoho. It should even compare her to Lieutenant-level Shinigami in term of skill alone. Unfortunately for her, he had gone far beyond that level for almost a hundred years already.

A forceful downward slash missed its mark once more, creating a long gash on the ground. Just as she was about to pull back her weapon for a follow-up move, however, a booted foot landed on it, pinning it down. She didn't get a chance to be surprised then, because almost immediately, the strong Dust blade broke in half easily.

Still, he didn't even bother to retaliate.

Her irritation turned into anger at that.

Jumping back hurriedly, the now angry woman reattached what remained of her sword to its special sheath, switching to another Dust blade. And she put it into good use without a second thought. An electrical burst left the new yellow blade as she slashed into her supposed opponent's direction. Fully anticipating her attack to be dodged again, she followed it right away with her weapon pointed forward. Even then, to her frustration, she still missed by a hairbreadth as he twisted slightly right after moving away from the violent burst.

At least, he finally decided to retaliate.

She couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction even though she knew that his palm on her stomach here could only mean a bad thing for her. And sure enough, at once, her breath left her as she was sent flying backward. It seemed to be nothing much for him, but for her, as her body crashed hard into the side of a cliff, it was almost too much. Her Aura was left on a critical level by that single strike, she noticed with a winch. Still, as she stood up and walked back slowly, an excited smile grew on her face.

"Phew. I've never had a male slam me that hard before, not even close." She looked him over shamelessly until her eyes found the badge on his uniform. "It's a shame for such power only to be wasted with those pompous Atlesian."

"..."

"Look at me. We both know you'll get a much better deal with me instead. I'll give you -"

"Not interested."

Ouch.

Her smile dropped instantly at his nonchalant disinterest, and then he turned around again to leave, making her feel somewhat desperate.

"At least tell me who you are!"

"Why?"

"Well, I can tell you something in return. Whatever you want. I'm very resourceful when it comes to this kind of things."

That got the reaction she wanted as he stopped briefly in contemplation before glancing back at her.

"What do you know about a particularly powerful stranger appearing mysteriously in the Land of Darkness approximately a month ago?"

"Quite a bit actually." She smirked victoriously. "The rumors say the stranger came out of nowhere, bringing with him some strange blizzard that wiped out near half of Grimm population in the land before -"

"That should be me." He gave her an unimpressed look. "... I'm obviously looking for someone else."

"Oh."

"Nice try, though."

Ouch.

This whole situation admittedly made her feel kind of stupid. It was a good thing then that she was indeed very resourceful. An idea quickly formed in her mind to turn this into her favor.

"Well, I'll make sure to keep an eye out for this stranger then, so it's best if we stay in touch." Her smirk returned. "You don't mind, do you?

Another cunning female.

―

Winter hated her day already. The past few days since her visit home had been nerve wrecking enough with the sudden cold shoulder from her partner, but this one took the cake. Without explanation, not even a word, he had left her before they even landed in Vale for their short visit.

It was best not to recall her earlier unwanted encounters here with one particular infuriating frenemy.

A headache would only make things worse.

Of course, as a professional officer in the Atlesian Military, she made sure not to show any of her discontents. Her posture remained perfectly poised as she dutifully followed her superior on their way out of Beacon Academy main building. Surely not even the esteemed general noticed anything different in her usual cold expression. Though it might change as her ever sharp gaze suddenly found an unexpected and truly unpleasant sight.

This had to be a bad joke.

There, outside the building, the otherworldly stranger who just happened to be her one and only work partner stood casually like he had no responsibility in the world, not even to her. This was unacceptable, but she could still keep her composure over this. What really made her blood boil here was where his gaze seemed to focus on.

A dark-haired young woman chatting innocently with two friends not far away from where he stood.

Absolutely unacceptable!

He barely even bothered look her way as of late.

Fortunately, just before the angry officer could really snap, her superior wisely stepped in first as they approached.

"Ah! I didn't expect to find you here, Master Hitsugaya." He smiled cordially, still as respectful as the first time they met. "I wish I could've personally welcomed you here in Vale, but it seems something or maybe someone has caught your interest."

It was quite a surprise then when there was no attempt to deny it.

"You see that woman, general?"

"Hmm, yes... She looks particularly attractive indeed. I can see why you -"

"If you wish to keep things here under control, it is most advisable to keep a close eye on her."

No one saw that coming at all.

"... What could possibly make you think that way if I may ask?"

"I know a real nuisance when I see one."

There was no need to question his experience, the general understood that much as he too began to see something suspicious about the woman in question.

"Very well. If that is the case, then we need the both of you to stay here at least until the festival is over." He looked at his pair of subordinates seriously before focusing briefly on the actual one. "Schnee. You are in charge of this."

"Yes, sir."

She readily gave a salute as her busy superior immediately excused himself with silent nods. Then it was just her and her partner here for the first time in Vale, but she refused to start any interactions out of bitterness. The new order she had just received somewhat helped. She could keep herself busy in his presence by taking pictures of the suspicious woman surreptitiously before sending them out with clear instructions to her own subordinates in the area. Her efficiency in her job made it all over much quicker than actually preferred, unfortunately.

Awkwardness inevitably settled between them.

This was stupidly unnerving for some reason.

Why did she feel like a hapless wife after finding out her irresponsible husband fooling around behind her back here?!

Ludicrous.

She had pretty much come to terms with her alarmingly growing feelings for him, but to let the whole things affect her this bad was simply unreasonable. Being rational about this was necessary because he was just out of her reach especially after the truth about her heritage was revealed. It was easier said than done for sure, but she would manage, she had to. For that reason, it was important to address this matter as soon as possible, she finally decided.

"Toushiro." Carefully, she maintained her professionalism as she faced him. "You can give me the cold shoulder all you want as long as it does not affect our working relationship. That's why at least tell me the reason so we could -"

Something suddenly caught her attention, eliciting a warning glare from her.

There was a ruckus behind a nearby bush soon before the figures of four teenage girls stumbled out together with loud shrieks. They chuckled awkwardly then as they stood back up until three of them quickly turned around and ran away at once, leaving the one in white helplessly behind. In any other situations, this one would've snapped angrily, but here, she didn't dare even look away from those familiar eyes that matched her own pair of slate blue perfectly.

"S- Sister." Gulping nervously, she moved closer. "We see each other again already. I'm glad!"

"Weiss Schnee. What is the meaning of this?"

"Sorry! We were only curious. There was absolutely no intention to disturb your date with -"

"What date?"

The eyes became rather scary with that demand, enough to make her shift uncomfortably.

"Well, mother called me recently, telling me that you were going to visit with -"

"You know all along mother was inebriated like usual more likely than not, right?"

"Well, yes, but I..."

Poor girl...

Of course, as a Schnee, she was most definitely not poor in that sense. However, even the battle-hardened Shinigami silently watching her being interrogated by her older sister here couldn't help feeling sorry for her predicament despite it being the first time he met her. There seemed to be nothing he could do about it sadly. Thus, he just kept on watching, unconsciously comparing the two of them.

Interestingly enough, aside from their near identical white complexions, the sisters didn't look that much alike. The younger one looked much more delicate with her softer features and slender figure. Her particularly feminine choice of looks made it all the more apparent. She was also seemingly much more approachable already despite their similar poised and proud natures.

The older one was just...

Downright cold and scary.

But deep down...

Here, he couldn't help but start comparing her next with the one he met in the supposedly forgotten past. It was kind of funny to think that she was in all technicality the kind woman's grandniece, one who had the same, identical features somehow. Their characteristics were also all pretty much the same, though the past one was understandably more mature and mellow due to age, along with a sad, lonely life...

____________________L____________________________________________________________et's meet again in a better world.________________________________________

Dammit.

He had really been trying to avoid going through with this thought, but it was just not possible. He knew well enough that Quincy, despite being technically human, were more like soul in their nature with the unlikelihood of afterlife for them. No Quincy had ever gone naturally to Soul Society after death, thus it only left them the possibility to rest eternally or be reborn directly. And in this case, the latter was more likely.

It didn't help that they both shared the exact same name.

It could only be destiny.

It might be the chance for him to have the long overdue retribution he always deserved at last.

A life for a life.

He would tell her eventually, and the decision would be hers fully once his true object here was accomplished. Being killed was a natural end to Shinigami's existence, something that would happen sooner or later. It barely mattered by whom, and for him honestly, he wouldn't mind at all if it was her.

Lost in thought, the somber Shinigami was late to notice that the one in his thought had been addressing him for a moment now.

"Has it come to the point that you don't even care to listen to me?" Her scowl greeted him as their eyes met. "You are being introduced to my sister."

Wincing slightly at the harsh tone, the sister in question took the initiative.

"Hello! I am Weiss." She smiled pleasantly. "I've heard quite a bit about you and am now very glad to finally meet you in person."

"Then, as you may know already, I am Toushiro Hitsugaya." He bowed like a gentleman in return. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Weiss."

Hold on a moment.

There was something seriously wrong here, the older sister pondered quickly before looking back at her partner with an even deeper scowl.

"You call her Weiss."

"... Is something wrong, Miss Schnee?"

Ouch.

"Why do you not call me Winter?"

"... Is that even important?"

Much more than he could possibly think apparently.

This might seem petty, even more so for Winter Schnee of all people, but she just couldn't help feeling hurt here. A betrayed look crossed her features as she shook her head disappointedly before stomping off without another word. Her action made it clear already that she didn't wish to be followed.

―

Night had fallen, but in a major city like Vale, it didn't matter that much. Most places still appeared very lively, not that much different than during the day, all the more lately with the city's turn to hold the much anticipated Vytal Festival. It was safe to say then that pretty much everyone had a good time, relaxing and enjoying the festivities, still.

Except for one apparently.

One exceptional military officer from Atlas had been keeping herself busy for a while alone in her private airship with the impromptu task she received earlier from her superior. Her eyes had been glued to the screen of her Scroll for hours already with barely any break, carefully monitoring every single update from her subordinates while doing some research of her own. It began to frustrate her that nothing noteworthy had been found so far about the target except for the basic information.

Cinder Fall, supposedly from Haven Academy, here taking part in the festival tournament.

It seemed more like a mistake.

At this point, she should've questioned the credibility of her partner's unfounded assessment from which the whole thing started, but she didn't. Her trust in his expertise and judgement had not changed regardless the personal problem between them. She would be lying, however, if she said it didn't affect her much.

She needed a break.

As it seemed, someone else thought the same. She noticed this someone enter the airship quietly, but made no immediate reaction. Only select few had been given access for entry, and knowing well who this one was already without even looking, she just found no reason to bother. That meant it was left up to this familiar someone to breach the silence.

"Say, would you like some ice cream?"

"..."

"... Never mind." He shifted somewhat awkwardly. "I often forgot that -"

"It's fine. Ice cream is fine."

Her offhand reply took him by surprise, quite pleasant surprise, but he soon snapped out of it and left immediately to get what he first offered.

How strange.

What made him suddenly try to be nice to her?

Or maybe who?

Weiss?

An unpleasant feeling began to grow in her chest at the thought, but thankfully, his quick return managed to distract her from it. She pretended to be still busy as she wordlessly accepted an ice cream cone from him, vanilla by the smell of it, before taking a small bite. The effect was almost immediate with her cold mask slipping a bit to show her approval at the pleasant taste. This didn't go unnoticed by him as he took a seat across from her. She looked more approachable as she finished it up, making it easier for him to breach the silence once again.

"Your sister has been worried since you left. She's actually the one who convinced me to talk with you."

Weiss

Of course, who else?

"What a good little sister she is." Her bitterness showed slightly. "I'm proud of her."

"You really should be. I honestly didn't expect her to actually be such a wonderful girl."

"..."

"We spent some time together after you left, and there, I saw how exceptionally careful and charming she is."

Seriously.

Who did he think he was speaking to?

No one knew Weiss Schnee better than her own older sister who currently felt a growing sense of bitterness at her being the subject of the conversation.

"You seem to have taken a liking to her."

"I suppose."

"You should be glad then that she seems to have seriously taken a liking to you too." She gave a fake, knowing smile. "Her starry eyes as she stole glances at you showed enough."

"..."

Not done yet.

"Just keep in mind that she's pretty much still underage."

"..."

"As her big sister, it's my responsibility to make sure she wouldn't make any regrettable decisions."

"..."

"Still, mother would be delighted to learn that she may really have you as her dream son in law in the future." Her smile turned cold and mocking. "Maybe then you could also start getting used to me becoming your sister in law and mindfully stop calling me Miss Schnee."

There.

She felt a dark sense of satisfaction with her finishing touch, though it didn't last more than a moment.

His Shunpo was truly something otherworldly, she absentmindedly realized as he suddenly appeared right in front of her before she could even blink. But she couldn't think more about it as she slowly looked up at him because he was just there so close leaning down to her sitting form. It was a bit too much, but then she felt his gentle touch on her chin as he leaned even closer before her mind pretty much stopped working at the feel of his lips meeting hers passionately.

Her very first kiss...

Of course, he had no idea about that as he threw all cautions out the window for just this moment until she blissfully lost her mind, before using Shunpo again to return to his seat as tough he hadn't left in the first place.

"Now." He looked as calm as ever despite in actuality trying not to sweat profusely. "Was that enough to prove your nonsensical assumptions wrong?"

An unsure nod was the most he could get from her here.

To say that she was surprised was an understatement, though to put it simply, it was such a pleasant surprise. Even then, she didn't dare think further about how pleasant it was, much less get her hopes up. She understood well enough here that it meant to him not even a fraction of what it meant to her.

"You didn't have to go that far..." She looked away slightly with a light blush on her face. "A simple explanation would've sufficed."

"Perhaps."

"Don't get me wrong. I don't mind it that much. It was just quite a surprise to me since it never crossed my mind that you might find me appealing enough to try such a thing with."

What a real surprise.

"... Why?"

"Have you really looked at Weiss?" A smile graced her face, a soft one this time. "She is what beauty is. It's not possible for me to be like her. I just don't have enough femininity to begin with."

"..."

"I don't wear dresses, not even skirts."

True.

He had to admit that in all his time practically living together with her, he had never seen her even once wearing any of those. It just seemed to be in her character to keep things simple and practical, he supposed, not that he minded in the slightest. The problem here was, despite speaking somewhat objectively, she seemed to have already come to the conclusion that her younger sister was his type or something for some reason.

Seriously.

Was the surprise kiss not enough?

Should he even consider giving it a second try?

He honestly dreaded it because the chance she would response by kicking him out seemed to be pretty high the second time, thus after a brief consideration, he decided to play it safe.

"Trust me when I say this." His still impassive face showed nothing much, but he was actually nervous. "You are perfectly appealing to me."

"... I'm sorry, but you don't sound so convincing."

Well, it didn't seem that safe anymore, but it was too late to back out.

"I know if only I was an ordinary person, an actual person of this world, there would be no second thought. I would not hesitate to even court you." He knew then that he looked more or less nervous. "Well... at least try..."

Dammit.

What the hell had he been thinking?!

The look she gave him pretty much told how much of a fool he just made himself to be. Though, in honesty, she was simply confused. What she heard sounded way too good to be true. It also made no sense, considering how unfair he had been to her lately. Nonetheless, despite the strangeness of it all, she was still sure of one thing.

"I get it." There was no denying of her bitterness. "You being a Shinigami, supposedly a Royal Guard, cannot possibly tolerate me being a Quincy, supposedly a descendant of a Sternritter though not a pure-blood."

"..."

"You hate Quincy for what they've done in the war. That is understandable, but -"

"They deserve to hate me more."

Another thing making no sense.

"... What?"

"What I have done back before the war is even worse." He gave her a genuine, resigned look. "You have the right to learn here that I played a big part in your race's near extinction."

"..."

"Long ago, in a dark age of history, the situation required the capture of all rebellious ones lived in hiding, but after one tragic turn of events, I decided myself to just put the few hundreds I discovered personally out of their misery."

There.

Just a bit more.

He was determined to tell her everything here, but then stopped short at the shocked, vulnerable look he got from her in return.

The cries of anguish of those hundreds of Quincy resounded in her mind as her blood instinctively reacted, but she willed herself badly not to lose it. Tears fell silently down her face as she looked the Shinigami sitting somberly before her in the face. Her desperation to preserve her trust in him showed clearly with her trying to find something in him to hold on to. The familiarity of his comfortingly cold presence soon washed over her then in answer, and for the moment, thankfully it was enough for her.

There was still much she didn't know about him, but with the concerning reaction of her blood, she wasn't sure she was ready to know more. She didn't know if she could fight it if it wasn't for her love for him. It was best for her to keep this in mind for the sake of their fragile relationship.

Love won against blood in the end.

How cheesy.

She might've admitted her possible love for him here at least to herself, but her emotional state was still pretty unstable. A convenient distraction was needed. And she soon found it in the neglected ice cream still in his hand.

"What flavor is that?"

"Huh?" He blinked dumbly in surprise. "Uh, watermelon?"

Interesting.

"Let me have a taste."

"Sorry, I already took a bite -"

"Let me have a taste."

"..."

There was just no way he could deny her when she was like this.

* * *

**The 'AU only' Quincy incident mentioned here supposedly shows that Royal Guard Hitsugaya is far from innocent, definitely not a hero material. There should be a reason he's not 'Heavenly Winter Hero', I guess.  
**


	5. clash

**Time to be honest again. I**** ****initially**** decided to cover the Battle of Beacon a bit**** just for none other than Ozpin and Pyrrha. They're both just too lovable to die, so nothing would happen to them here. Even the fact that a certain genocidal Arrancar is finally awake****** hopefully** wouldn't change that.**

**05**

* * *

It was like yesterday.

In actuality, it all happened eons ago when he was still a Vasto Lorde General following the first King of Hueco Mundo. At that time, no one, not even the other few Vasto Lorde existed, could challenge their supremacy as they fought together to establish the first ever semblance of order in the Hollow world. Even those Shinigami from Soul Society didn't dare to interfere.

The golden age of Hueco Mundo was within their grasp.

His kind, supposedly damned souls, overcame the cruel fate put upon them since the beginning of time. They managed to fight back the insatiable hunger they always felt and their basest instinct for chaos to even build an actual civilization. No more were they known as mindless creatures.

All those accomplishments eventually led to one fateful encounter that would change everything.

It came as a surprise back then even to him when a mysterious draconic being appeared out of nowhere in the main courtyard of the newly built Las Noches. He knew in terms of combat capability alone, it couldn't compare to either him or the king, but there was an otherworldly power within it that elicited caution. He volunteered to kill it without further thought. However, the king, having a different idea, surprisingly let it speak. Thus, it did, claiming to be a 'God of Darkness' with great magical power, here to offer them a promised land in return of one temple being built for it.

It was hard not to believe somehow...

The deal was made then.

Andoral Temple was later built in the name of the supposed God of Darkness with gateways to the Hollow's Promised Land underneath.

With nothing more to accomplish personally, the king decided to be the first to pass into the supposed promised land, followed soon by others of high standing. It tempted even him, the great general, but he waited for a while longer, not yet ready to leave behind the kingdom they had fought hard to build. Ironically, however, this only led him to witness the weakened kingdom eventually fall under Shinigami's newly formed Gotei 13. He barely even managed to escape with his life after being the last to stand against their overwhelming might.

Everything fell apart from then on.

Hueco Mundo returned to how it originally was, barren, chaotic, worthless.

The surviving Vasto Lorde General swore then that he would pass into the promised land only after bringing all Shinigami to extinction. Hatred consumed him for ages until it compelled him to tear apart his own mask, turning him into the first ever Arrancar in history, a being freed from the boundary of both Hollow and Shinigami. His power surged into a whole new level, gaving him more than enough confidence to finally seek vengeance alone. He managed to come close, but because of his arrogance, not any further than that.

Failure after failure.

In the end, he even failed to keep his words. He fled like a coward after being defeated by a sworn enemy a fraction of his age. The ruins of the temple was the last place in his home world he went to as he, in desperation, followed the others to pass into the fabled promised land at last.

Those all summed up the history of the one known as Arturo Plateado.

Still in quite a shock after carefully mind-reading the still unconscious male now laying in her bed, Salem slowly gathered her thought, pondering about all the unexpected revelations.

Another world, the damned world he called as home.

Another one of the blasted god's trickery.

The true origin of Grimm.

The unbelievable extent of his power and those of his sworn enemies.

Here, for some reason, she couldn't help but pity him. Fate had been utterly unfair to the both of them, she realized. This thought gave her normally malevolent face a somewhat tender look as she moved her hand from the top of his head to slowly caress his cheek. Nothing stopped her from doing so now that she had completely removed the last remnant of his mask during his recovery.

... He wouldn't mind, would he?

Suddenly, a strange feeling of dread grew in the pit of her stomach. It compelled her to pull back her hand warily, only for a larger, rougher, much stronger one that could only belong to him caught it without warning. A shriek of surprise instantly left her mouth, but then she lost her voice just as instantly when he tugged her down sharply until her eyes directly met his finally opened ones. They did look identical to each other, she realized here absentmindedly, having been correct in her first assumption.

Sadly, the male didn't look at all amused by their situation as he scowled dangerously at her.

"Do not touch me, witch."

"... You're the one touching me now."

"..."

Realizing his mistake, he swatted her away carelessly like a fly. It was enough to slam her hard into the wall until it cracked despite him not even trying, not that he cared. He just stood up arrogantly like he owned the place as she glared at him.

"Is this how you show gratitude to the one who has cared for you?"

"Consider me not killing you on sight as my show of gratitude."

"How dare you?!"

Her outburst elicited no further response from him, however.

He had fully recovered, he knew, but there was something amiss, still. His first thought went to his sword that was immediately found lying securely on top of a table. His gaze traveled down to check on his clothes then, his new clothes, somewhat unusual, mostly black in color like the woman's, like Shinigami's. The latter likeness made him scowl in annoyance, but he soon disregarded it. He knew it was not it, not the thing amiss here.

... His mask piece.

The familiar presence was not there on his face.

In dread, he quickly headed straight to the large mirror on the wall to confirm it with his own eyes. And what he found there was more than the confirmation he dreaded. It was still him, he knew, but the strange changes he saw on his features made him even wonder briefly if he had unknowingly undergone another evolution during his recovery. However, he soon saw himself frown in the mirror as he slowly realized that all those changes, the coloration in particular, made him somewhat look like the male version of the strange witch.

"You witch..." Turning around dangerously, he glared at her in accusation. "What have you done?!"

"Nothing except for helping your ungrateful self!"

She should've been more careful, Salem understood only afterward.

Her heart stopped momentarily as a small, dark, energy orb shot past her at once, dangerously close to her head. Her body was then instantly thrown forward as the wall behind her got blown up completely. And it was only here that her heart started beating again. Her eyes looked around frantically as she scrambled in panic, trying to recover from the shock.

Meanwhile, Arturo paid her no mind as he walked forward and stopped right next to her still crumpled form on the floor, focusing more now on what laid beyond the destroyed wall.

"So this is the promised land..."

He didn't seem to expect any answer, but what he had just done compelled her to provide one hurriedly.

"There are still more out there, much more, but yes... as your kind know it..."

"Then what has become of them here?"

He sounded somewhat disturbed at what he saw in the distance. It was not the sight of the supposed promised land being a wasteland, however. She was certain of that as she got up and turned around carefully to stand next to him.

"The Creatures of Grimm." Her eyes lit up in pride at what she saw. "They listen to me. It was actually one of them that brought you to me."

"..."

He barely listened to her with his attention focused more on the subjects of their talk. The sight of the creatures, his supposed kind, crawling around like lowly animals disturbed him, angered him. He had no idea of what had actually happened to them here, but he knew the same could've happened to him as well had he still been a full Hollow. He owed it all to the Shinigami power he had gained as an Arrancar, he realized. Nevertheless, anger still consumed him, resulting in him instinctively charging up a Cero to a dangerous level, enough to blow up everything on sight, before stopping.

All had not been lost.

He still lived, and as long as he did, there was still a chance to correct everything, much more here where no one could challenge him.

His Cero died down with his anger.

The anxious woman next to him could finally breath again. Her awareness of her surroundings slowly returned with the imminent danger being gone. And it was just in time for her to hear the incoming panicked voices of her underlings. As it appeared, the earlier explosion had alerted them, compelling them to check on her. She immediately tried to regain her composure then before the door to her room was opened to reveal them all.

Just for a brief moment.

Only a shocked gasp left her mouth as she started to speak. It was only expected because the ones she was about to speak to were no longer there. Strange, x-shaped projectiles had come out of nowhere to obliterate each one of them instantly before they even knew what happened. This was absolutely shocking, but the one responsible for this was obvious already, and without a second thought, she glared up at him.

"What have you done?!"

"Ask yourself that question for letting such pathetic pests live in your house."

"What do you even mean now?"

"Stupid woman." He almost groaned in disbelief. "Humans have no place in our promised land!"

It was more than clear already that he was absolutely evil even to her, but she didn't expect it to such an extent.

"Don't be ridiculous! Humans have lived here practically since the start."

"That means their extinction has been long overdue."

"You're insane. Can't you see that I am basically human as well?!"

Her furious claim admittedly came as a surprise to him, enough that he finally bothered to give her a brief once over for the first time. It was true that she looked pretty much human, but so did he after becoming an Arrancar. In actuality, he did not kill her on sight only by the fact that she felt more like his kind. Her presence also didn't bother him that much, and with all the knowledge she seemed to posses, he wouldn't mind keeping her around. However, that also meant the sooner she learned to fear him, the better it was for her.

"Really?" He gave her one dangerous smirk. "Don't be surprised then if I feel like killing you on a whim later."

"..."

Just what had she gotten herself into?

―

The Schnee sisters appeared not that much close in public, but it always changed when it was just the two of them. Well, only the older one's behavior changed mostly, being genuinely more attentive to the younger one who still looked hopeful to please her as usual. Nonetheless, in those rare occasions, their sisterly bond showed clearly, just like this one as they met together privately at a nice pavilion in Vale.

It was simply precious.

After being scolded for that little spying, Weiss had actually been nervous, even anxious to come to this awaited meeting. In fact, she was still pretty much like that on the way here, but it all changed with her sister's unexpected but genuine questions about how she had been doing. Even the lectures and lessons that followed were all more than appreciated. After all, it was in moments like this that she could really see the older sister she very much admired.

If only said older sister brought along her supposed intended too...

The mysterious gentleman had quickly earned similar admiration from her. He looked very cold and intimidating at first, even more so than her sister, but her opinion changed completely as soon as she had her first interaction with him. Her approval was given then, and it only grew as they spent more time together.

Winter couldn't be more lucky...

"Pay attention." Said woman frowned in disapproval. "You don't think I'm here for you to daydream like an airhead, do you?"

"S- Sorry, sister."

The girl silently berated herself as she returned her attention to the unique pendant of the thin chain wrapped around her sister's right wrist.

It looked kind of familiar...

After giving her a bit of summoning lesson, her older sister had soon grown serious. It was followed by a fully unexpected revelation regarding their secret heritage. Apparently, they came from a lost line of a 'holy warrior' race, thanks to their honorable grandfather. It was just hard to believe, seeing that no one in Remnant including their family supposedly knew about this Quincy race. She would never dare to question this older sister of hers, however, thus she decided to believe her every word until the familiar looking thing was shown.

It supposedly belonged to their grandfather...

The older sister didn't tell more about it, however, deciding a demonstration was more important.

"Look carefully."

Almost immediately, the pendant hanging from her wrist glowed, followed by light blue particles showing up in the air around its vicinity. This quite magnificent sight didn't last long, however. Those particles soon gathered in her grasp to form something long. It appeared to be a sword made entirely of the strange particles, but it didn't stop there. After a moment, it eventually took a concrete form, one that closely resembled her normal sword only with beautiful, glowing, blue patterns on its surface as a reminder of its initial form.

The reaction this all elicited was only one of wonderment.

"Wow..."

"This is a spirit weapon, only for ones with special blood like ours." The wielder smiled proudly. "The only limit to its power is only our own ability to wield it."

"Amazing..."

"The shape and even the type of weapon may vary, depending on the user." Her smile grew prouder then. "As you can see, this sword is mine. Eiskreuz."

Not that unusual name, considering whom it belonged to...

Weiss knew better than to point that out, though. Her beloved older sister not speaking to her for years was the last thing she needed. She was currently too fascinated to bother, anyway.

"That seems really amazing, Winter! I can't believe you learned all of that from Sir Toushiro." Her eyes lit up dreamily. "He is really something..."

"... What did you call him?"

"... Sir Toushiro?"

"..."

The silence made the girl feel rather nervous.

"... Sister?"

"Listen, Weiss. Your naive infatuation is clear to see, but -"

"You can't be serious!" Now her eyes widened in disbelief. "Winter, there's no way I would ever knowingly go for someone my own sister is in love with!"

"..."

This was simply embarrassing.

Winter had never thought that the first ever time her younger sister dared to snap at her would be about something that made her feel this embarrassed. She hoped it didn't show on her face as she silently dismissed her spirit weapon. She wasn't even angry, but maybe a distraction was needed just to be safe.

Time for Weiss to learn the way of Quincy.

Thus, as it seemed, the remaining time here would consist of the proud new Quincy making her younger sister learn about something she herself hadn't fully grasped. It didn't go that well obviously. The girl looked simply clueless about all the strange terms her older sister used in the already confusing explanation. It came as no surprise then that it only got worse as they eventually moved to practice. As hard as she tried, she just couldn't even make the pendant known as Quincy cross respond to her.

"Sister... Maybe it proves that I'm not a Quincy like you..."

"Blame your retarded excuses. You have the same blood as me."

Not exactly anymore.

"You must have forgotten that her blood has not yet awakened, Miss Schnee, unlike yours."

... He had come uninvited.

The woman in question hurriedly took back the cross from her sister and hid it behind her protectively. The girl was puzzled by this, but then she just ignored it in favor of greeting her favorite gentleman who could be seen leaning casually against a nearby wall. Before she could say anything, though, her suddenly weird older sister stopped her with a glare that was then directed toward said gentleman almost immediately.

"This is none of your business, Quincy hater."

"... What?"

"Quincy hater."

"... You know that is not true."

"That is."

She emphasized it with her glare.

Honestly, he deserved more, much more for what he had done to her and those hundreds member of her race. She had all the right to seek revenge, stab him in the heart just like he did her in the long gone past. This strange show of hostility was simply nothing especially when he knew she didn't really mean it. She was only troubled since the past few days had not been easy for her.

His fault mostly.

Hopefully, he could at least help her unwind by playing along a bit here.

"If that is true, I wouldn't have revealed you are a Quincy in the first place."

"..."

"If that is true, I wouldn't have pointed out about that cross currently in your hand."

"..."

"If that is true, I wouldn't have kissed you in your private airship."

He got a reaction finally. Though it came from the younger sister as she tried unsuccessfully not to squeal in excitement at what she heard. Then, interestingly enough, it led to the older one making a reaction as well, albeit a painfully unimpressed one.

"Sure. Brag all you want for being the first and only one to ever kiss Winter Schnee. It doesn't change the fact that you're a Quincy hater."

Oh, well.

"If that is true, I wouldn't have let you have my ice cream cone in that intense moment."

He got another reaction then as she gasped instantly.

"How could you mention such a thing so scandalously?!"

"You practically demanded me to give it to you."

"Don't expect me to regret it with how good it was."

"You selfishly made me stay still to freely enjoy it alone."

"Just stop before my innocent little sister gets the wrong idea!"

What a strange couple...

That was the only idea said innocent little sister got by watching their argument become more and more strange by the second. The two seemed to be the only ones who could understand it, and she wouldn't be surprised if that was true, seeing how much similar they were to each other. Nonetheless, she still loved seeing them together. There was just no need to worry because her beloved big sister was in good hands.

Soon later, the unusually emotional woman became less tense, and the man she had an argument with looked somewhat amused by it.

"Feeling better now, Miss Schnee?"

"Kind of. Would be more if you finally stop calling me that." She glared one last time halfheartedly. "Still, sorry for earlier, not much Quincy hater."

"Mind telling us what's wrong?"

"... I guess I'm just frustrated since nothing has come up from the investigation so far."

Not really her fault.

"In that case, let's just save yourself the trouble and prepare for the inevitable." He gave her a look of encouragement. "You know practically no one here stands a chance against you as you currently are."

―

The top of Evernight Castle was a simply large, empty space with nothing to be found normally except for one particular Grimm. The place might as well be its home because it could almost always be found there ever since the castle was built a long time ago. None other than the castle owner herself knew that it deserved the place more than even her. Only she knew that it had lived even longer than her. It was one of a kind, having a distinctive winged-horse form that couldn't be found on any others. Most importantly, it was the only one that, despite being a Grimm, she had ever considered as a true friend.

"Lena..."

That was the name she had chosen for the graceful creature that she thought to be female, and a smile always graced her face each time she said it. This time was no different as her eyes quickly found its slumbering form in the distance right after she reached the top of the castle. Her smile didn't last nearly as long as usual, however, because she soon remembered her most recent plight that compelled her to eventually seek her friend here.

"It pains me to tell you that this place is no longer safe for us." She hesitated a bit before slowly moving closer. "Will you come with me if I decide to leave?"

There was no verbal answer, but the creature's eyes finally opened to look at her. She knew it could understand her well enough to see that she meant what she said. There was really no other choice left for them.

The genocidal Arrancar would kill even her who was supposedly immortal sooner or later.

Probably sooner...

That was what she thought unconsciously as he appeared before her out of nowhere, suddenly blocking her path. Stepping back warily, she tried hard not to appear suspicious. It was futile, however, because he could see her intention clearly.

"Trying to run away, woman?" His eyebrow rose up mockingly. "Pathetic."

"It's funny how you act like you've never run away before!"

It was so worth it.

She couldn't be more satisfied as his eyes widened in disbelief. Though she soon began to regret it when she saw him suddenly there right in front of her. On instinct, she desperately attempted to fight back, generating electricity around her, even firing a point blank energy blast at him, but to no avail. None seemed to even faze him as his hand grabbed her throat roughly to lift her until she could see that the same eyes had narrowed dangerously.

This was it for her...

To her surprise, however, just as she expected to be reduced into nothing, she found herself being let go. It happened so fast, but she caught what happened as her body fell. Her friend had come to save her by slamming forcefully into her assailant from the side without warning, propelling the two of them to the sky. A smile of gratitude appeared on her face at this, but it soon fell as she saw the precious Grimm being sent crashing down hard so easily by the Arrancar.

With a look of cruel amusement, he descended to where the creature crumpled in defeat.

"Just a random Adjuchas originally, yet dared to attack an Arrancar of the highest power. You're not even nearly as strong as you used to be, and clearly, not as intelligent. For your bravery, however, I commend you. Be grateful that it is I who will finally free you from this miserable state you have ended up into!"

This was not supposed to happen...

"NO!"

Without thinking, Salem immediately got up, hoping to reach her friend in time. But there was just nothing she could do. A powerful dark energy saber suddenly shot out from Arturo's fingers to pierce the poor creature right in the middle of the chest. She shut her eyes at once, not wanting to see, and for the first time since what felt like forever, the tears she never expected to still have fell silently. This, however, only elicited a scorn from the heartless male.

"Stop being pathetic, will you?!" He found himself almost feeling bad at this sight of her. "Open your eyes and look closely!"

"What more do you want from me?!"

"Just do as I said before I force you!"

Unbelievable!

She finally did if only to glare up at him, but then she gasped in surprise at what she saw.

Her friend had not disappeared like how dead Grimm supposedly ended up.

Unbeknownst to her, his attack had not meant to kill as hard as it was to believe. It also had not been random since he had specifically targeted the spot where the defeated creature's Hollow hole used to be located. The chance it worked as he intended was not a hundred percent, however, depending mostly on the subject's strength of mind.

Fortunately, this one had more than enough of it.

As the hole reappeared, the creature gained some kind of Aura before its power skyrocketed to reach far beyond what had ever been seen on its kind. In fact, the power kept on climbing, going past even the original power of an Adjuchas Menos easily. Then, as it began to stabilize, the animal-like body surprisingly changed form until it took the shape of a humanoid female tough still with the coloration and characteristics of a Grimm.

All of those barely mattered to Salem, however, as she quickly came to embrace her only friend without a second thought.

"Lena! Are you okay?"

"I surprisingly am, mistress..."

The confirmed to be female creature could now speak to the surprise of them both. Though it came pretty much as expected to the one responsible for all of this. He just watched with a smug look before focusing on his new 'creation'.

"I take back what I said." His gaze lowered to settle on the red number that has appeared on her left breast. "You seem worthy to be at least an Octava."

To his annoyance, however, his statement garnered the reaction from the 'wrong' female.

"... Octava?"

"Eighth." Here a sense of excitement quickly replaced his annoyance. "If you still wish her to live, she will be Octava, number eight, of the all new Espada I am now planning to create from only the strongest Returned-Grimm such as her. My very own Espada for the full realization of Hollow's Promised Land!"

"... Espada?"

"All you need to know is that it will be practically like day and night compared to your pathetic excuse of underlings that died easily like pests."

That one sounded way too condescending that she felt triggered instantly and desperate for a comeback, anything.

"Just so you know, I still have one left!"

"Oh?"

"She's currently out on an important task." It was hard, but she tried to appear confident. "And you'll take back what you said again once she returns!"

Then why did she get a dreadful feeling somehow that the one she talked about would not even manage to return?

―

Chaos in Vale.

What a sight.

The city had become like a playground for hordes of Grimm with Wing Fang soldiers taking part as well. The only thing that might top it off was probably having Atlesian androids going rogue and joining the fray. Thankfully, that one didn't have a chance to happen with the military having been much more prepared. Alas, all their efforts still had not been enough to prevent the unfortunate situation since it had apparently been planned thoroughly long beforehand.

The suspicious woman known as Cinder Fall had pretty much confirmed herself to be the one behind the whole things.

Exactly as expected.

The renown Specialist of the Atlesian Military in charge of investigating the wicked woman tried not to let her failure get the better of her. Things could've gotten even worse if she hadn't stayed here longer than initially planned. She had done her job well enough in making sure everything was kept in check. Still, she had to give the most credit to her partner for all his unbelievably sound advice.

If only said partner had not disappeared on her again without notice right after the chaos started.

Being around Grimm seemed to be easier for him than being with her.

Her frustration on him had almost resulted in her killing the pair of troublesome criminals she had now incapacitated for trying to stupidly take over the flagship. It was a good thing that she managed to regain her composure at the last moment. She didn't need the unnecessary trouble of cleaning up such a mess when she had a much more important priority in hand.

Her target would be absolutely sorry for being so irritatingly difficult.

Jumping off the flagship, she moved through the air almost on instinct alone as she finally took the time to hunt down said target. Her frustration on her partner resurfaced briefly then as she thought how helpful his keen ability to sense and pinpoint someone's presence would've been here. Though, eventually, she managed on her own. It took quite a while, but the irritating woman was found at last on her way to a vault underneath Beacon, following after the professor who apparently had gone inside with two students.

It was time.

Which power should she use here?

Her original one as a Huntress hopefully would be sufficient enough.

Winter was an unquestionably proud Quincy, but her blood was still too volatile to her liking when she used its power. It tended to response aggressively to her emotions like how her frustration earlier made it automatically activate Blut Arterie, resulting in a shocking attack power that almost killed the two criminals easily. She didn't like that since it was simply not her way to let emotions overpower her.

No time for second guessing.

After another quick dash through the air, a glyph formed near her feet that she then used to propel herself down at such a high speed. Her regular sword was immediately at the ready to strike her unsuspecting target. It hit the mark dead on, causing the woman to be thrown away with a loud shriek, but her Aura still saved her from a fatal injury.

The two glared at each other right after the dark-haired one recovered a good distance away. She was about to make a heated remark but didn't really get the chance because her attacker suddenly closed their distance again with the help of another glyph. Their swords locked in a clash at once. It looked like she had a clear advantage with having two in her hands, but then, to her surprise, it was no longer the case. The other had somehow produced a smaller blade that she immediately used with her free hand to land a quick slash.

The swords fight ensued.

At first, the wicked woman was still confident that she had a superior skill, but it didn't last long. As they continued being engaged in a deadly dance of swords, she eventually had to accept her opponent as the superior one here as hard as it was to believe. It came to the point where one particularly forceful stab that broke her defense and nearly made her drop one sword compelled her to change tactic. Jumping back quickly until there was a significant distance between them, she combined her twin swords into their bow form without a second thought.

Three arrows were fired at once, detonating into multiple explosions as they hit the ground where the fight was a moment prior.

The other woman managed to escape safely, having readily formed a glyph under her feet to get away. As she was about to close back the distance, however, numerous glass projectiles were suddenly sent her way to stop her. None could hit her fortunately with another glyph formed in time as a shield. Still, this proved to be a problem because as it appeared, her target was determined to keep her at disadvantage.

Range combat was clearly not her specialty despite it being her race's oldest tradition.

Not that it would stop her.

Thinking fast, she formed one more glyph to summon a flock of her miniature Nevermores. The small, white-blue creatures flew forward at once to attack, seemingly enough to compensate for her lack of range weapon. However, just as they come close to the target, they were all unexpectedly turned into strange flame before being sent to attack her back. It was truly dangerous with how difficult it was to avoid them. She had to use both of her blades to defend herself since her makeshift shield proved to be not strong enough.

In the end, she managed to come out pretty much unharmed, though at the cost of her signature weapons being left badly damaged. Then, surprisingly enough, she just threw them away coldly like they had not served her for years. The one who watched this couldn't help but stop her attacks momentarily in surprise and amusement.

"What? Giving up already, frigid officer?"

"..."

Not bothering to answer, the one in question only returned the taunt with an unimpressed look before finally deciding to get serious.

Her blood responded readily.

With her regular weapons gone, her spirit weapon manifested flawlessly at her command, much to the shock and alarm of her soon to be helpless target.

Time to be a Quincy.

Well, not necessarily.

She would still need Shinigami's Hoho to close the distance first since she still knew nothing about Quincy's own superior movement ability and her glyph was not sufficient enough for this. There was also a need for more advanced Zanjutsu than the basics she used to dominate the earlier swords fight if she intended to completely crush her target's irritating ego. It was a good thing then that both could work relatively well with her Quincy power.

The exposed portions of her arms showed how her skin glowed faintly as her Blut Arterie activated once more, carefully maintained not beyond mild level.

Time to end it.

Seeing the foreboding intent, the wicked woman fired arrows after arrows at once along with fiery attacks relentlessly, but to no avail. She never had trouble with any speed Semblance, but this was something else entirely. Her opponent's movement was nigh impossible to follow until she lost sight of her completely. She couldn't grasp what actually transpired in that intense moment before suddenly, her senses caught a presence some distance behind her.

A severed piece of her bow fell to the ground then.

Pain finally registered from a serious cut across her abdomen.

She only realized that her Aura had been completely destroyed as she fell backward in defeat, crying hysterically.

"No way I lose to the likes of you! You -"

A glowing tip of a blade right above her face silenced her instantly as the other woman finally appeared again in her vision.

"If we met maybe a month ago, you would've won hands down." Cold eyes looked down hauntingly. "But, as I currently am, it is guaranteed I can kill you a thousand times over if necessary."

That should do it.

Shitonegaishi

The seemingly harmless technique effectively subdued and immobilized its victim with coercion alone.

Done.

There was no time to rest, though. A massive shadow soon appeared from the distance in the sky. It was most definitely a Grimm, a very rare type, probably even one of a kind.

Well, someone had to stop it.

A certain Shinigami would be best for it, but since he was still nowhere to be seen, his now frustrated again partner had to give it a try herself.

It was truly horrifying...

As she stood in the sky, right on the enormous Wyvern Grimm's flying path, the proud yet still novice Quincy felt herself shudder. There was one technique she knew should be more than enough to quickly dispatch it. Unfortunately, as hard as she tried, she had never even come remotely close to pull it off.

Dammit.

"Let me help you."

... Right behind her.

About time he showed up.

She didn't know whether to kiss him or kick him, both just as hard. It was a good thing then that the decision was left to him. Moving even closer, he took her sword hand carefully in his before silently guiding her to do the nigh impossible thing for her but definitely not him.

Hitotsume: Nadegiri

One moment, her sword was raised high, and before the next could even come, it had been swung down vertically. Beside that, nothing seemed to happen at all, but in actuality, the master-tier Zanjutsu technique had been successfully pulled off. It was just too subtle and swift despite the immense force being unleashed. The prove unquestionably showed itself soon later when the next moment finally came.

The two cleanly sliced pieces of the enormous creature slowly separated, letting them safely pass the pair standing unfazed in between, before disappearing.

Dismissing her weapon, the female finally let the tension leave her as she leaned back conveniently against the solid chest behind her, only to have the male wrap his arms securely around her waist in return, to her very pleasant surprise.

"What are we doing, Shinigami?"

"... Acting like a couple?"

"... We couldn't be a couple, could we?"

"What do you prefer, Quincy?"

Like the answer was not obvious already.

* * *

**There. From here on out, the plot would be completely original. Your extinction is approaching, people of Remnant! Uh, Hollow's Promised Land!**


	6. dress

**Back home to Atlas with its 'domestic' stuffs. I tend to include plenty of such things in my supposedly more action oriented stories somehow. It might be because I actually love writing silly character interactions more than bothersome battle scenes. On that note, there is a whole different kind of 'character interaction' by the end here.  
**

**Warning: M now for a reason.**

**06**

* * *

Winter Schnee in all honesty had one dirty little secret...

She and morning didn't go along all that well.

No one would believe it, seeing how prim and proper she always appeared in public. That was completely understandable. After all, it required practically living together with her to know, a privilege that until recently had ever been for family members only. Even then, not even her own family whom she had been living with until adulthood really knew how bad it had become.

It was pretty much a miracle that she had never missed coming to her workplace right on time.

Nothing much had changed with her daily routines since her return home several days ago from Vale except for the well deserved leave she received for her heroic contribution there.

Clad only in an oversized t-shirt and loose shorts, she came out lazily from a quick visit to the bathroom after waking up even later than usual. It seemed like she was in auto pilot as she dragged herself to the next destination in her routine, not caring about her horrendously disheveled appearance. There was no need really since the one who as of late routinely awaited her there in the kitchen she almost never used herself always appreciated seeing her hair down no matter how much of a mess her bedhead was.

If only their gender was reversed, her impeccably reliable housemate, Toushiro Hitsugaya, would definitely make such a perfect wife for her.

Oh, how wonderful would that be...

Seeing that she was still arguably awake at the moment, it should be fair for her to giggle a bit at the silly thought. She was in the privacy of her own living place, anyway. Nothing could stop her from giggling all she wanted like a mad woman. That was what she thought until her auto pilot eventually got her to her destination where one unexpected sight greeted her, jolting her awake completely.

Every decent mother in the world would shake her head in disappointment to find her daughter like this, and apparently, the Schnee's was no exception.

"My eldest daughter... It shames me deeply to say this, but at this rate, you would really make a horrible wife. Really... I can't be more thankful that we have such a thoughtful gentleman here who's willing to take care of your unwomanly self."

Said gentleman, having been busy preparing breakfast, paused a bit to look on in amusement. Though, as usual, his gaze was soon taken more by the sight of his surprised housemate with her hair down, messy or not. Sadly, he didn't get to enjoy it long as she looked about ready to snap, compelling him to act quickly by serving her morning dose of caffeine he had already prepared. She just accepted it grumpily before taking a seat with a surprised turned offended gaze still on her 'uninvited guest'.

"Oh, please. It's only fair since he's practically freeloading here."

"Winter Schnee!" Said guest reeled back at once, looking more than shocked. "Never ever say such a thing again about your soon to be husband!"

Not again...

The grumpy woman took a lazy sip from her favorite mug for a moment before looking up again now with a fully unimpressed gaze.

"Mother. How many bottles have you drunk this morning before coming here uninvited?"

"Zilch. Would you believe that?"

What a surprise.

Even more of a surprise, the answer didn't come from her hysteric mother. She frowned a bit at this, recognizing the familiar voice, before forcing her still sleepy eyes open more to confirm it. And, sure enough, there sitting comfortably across from her was none other than her younger brother who never seemed to like her that much though she loved him all the same.

"Whitley..." It was truly a surprise for her to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"Honestly, I asked the same question myself at first, having been practically dragged here by mother before going to school, but it all made sense after I was introduced to Sir Toushiro here." He nodded at said man respectfully. "I've never met such a sophisticated individual, definitely worthy to be called as brother."

"..."

Was she actually still asleep here and just having a dream?

Yeah, right.

She knew that wasn't the case as she silently watched the brother she had never managed to get close with unexpectedly having an enthusiastic conversation with someone he just met. It made her feel kind of jealous admittedly as a sister, but at the same time, she was glad. The boy really needed a much better role model than their terrible excuse of a father.

It seemed like their mother shared the same thought as she too watched fondly before taking a seat herself close by with a soft smile.

"Just look at that. It's been so long since your little brother looked genuinely cheerful like that."

"True..."

"What about your little sister? She responded well to your intended, I assume?"

What an understatement.

"Oh, with how smitten she seems to be already, you'd soon call him her intended instead of mine."

"Your sarcasm always fails to amuse me, young lady."

If only that was a sarcasm.

"Fine." There was no point in arguing. "Weiss idolizes him right away."

"How wonderful! Everyone in the family welcomes him so easily."

"Except for father."

What a downer.

"Well..." Even the meddlesome mother noticeably looked uncomfortable. "The two should finally meet later this evening..."

"Oh, please don't remind me..."

The dreaded party to celebrate her taking up the new 'Commander in Chief of Special Operatives Unit' position.

She had been excited at that sudden news of promotion on her return to Atlas. It made her proud for sure that the official recommendation came directly from her esteemed superior, but to eventually learn that it was all thanks to her partner's personal suggestion was something else entirely. The fact that he actually acknowledged her capacity meant a lot to her. Unfortunately, bad news soon followed once her father heard about this. His vehement disapproval of her joining the military somehow seemed conveniently forgotten with him arranging the unwanted party in their mansion.

It was without a doubt for his own benefit.

Honestly, she couldn't care less about that as long as she was not expected to attend, but she obviously was. There was no way she could refuse now without making a bad impression so early in her new station. That was not the worst here, though.

The mother knew all too well because it was the main reason of her visit.

"Really, Winter..." She frowned in disbelief. "It's still beyond me that a daughter of mine could be so averse to wearing a dress after growing up."

"Think what you want, but there's a good reason you won't find a single dress in my wardrobe."

"That only means we need to buy at least a couple of nice sets for you today."

"No, thank you."

So difficult.

"Listen. You only need to come along with me to the store. I'll pick all you need for you."

"Don't bother. I could just go in my uniform and see father cry."

So typical of her.

"Think of it this way. Would you simply turn down the chance of impressing your gallant intended with -"

"Mother, I know him much better than you. This gallant person you're speaking of in actuality has pretty much the same mindset as me. He would much rather see me in a combat suit ready for battle than a stupid dress for an even more stupid party."

"Oh, really?" The mother smiled cunningly before turning to her dream son in law. "Son! Not you, Whitley. Would you love to see my Winter in a lovely dress later in the party?"

Having just finished with the breakfast preparation, the supposedly gallant person didn't take long to think.

"Why not, ma'am?"

"Wonderful!" She looked back at her daughter then with a smug look. "You hear that, stubborn young lady?"

"Yes... And I'm going to kill him for that."

Because now she found herself wishing him to see her in a dress like some hopeless damsel too.

―

The death threat had been real.

She had challenged him to fight without thinking in her morning grumpiness. It might sound laughable, considering that she still stood no chance against him with her novice Quincy power, and she knew that. However, in all honesty, he was the one who stood no chance even with full power. There was just no way he would let himself hurt her ever again. There was also the fact that his newfound greatest weakness was simply seeing her hair down...

Thankfully, her mother had given her an earful right away for such an unladylike behavior and saved his life.

It had not been easy.

A deal still had to be made as a compromise.

He was somewhat thankful then for having been already used to accompany a certain someone shopping because his Schnee woman in the end demanded him to come with her and her mother. Her younger brother had been spared thanks to school. Thus, after having nice breakfast together and dropping off the boy, it left the three of them going to some expensive clothing stores with the family's limo.

This all made him seem like a rich person, not that he wasn't one himself. Having been a Captain for quite long had earned him no less wealth than regular noble houses in Soul Society. Being a Royal Guard only made it near comparable to great noble houses. Seriously, he even had his own city in Soul King Realm.

It came as a real surprise then that he found himself wishing to just stay freeloading in a scary woman's residence instead.

The same woman was currently arguing with her mother yet again, scaring off their attendant, though no one dared to reprimand them because they were the influential Schnees. This had been going on since they entered this particularly famous boutique with barely any breaks. To be honest, it was mainly her fault for being difficult, always criticizing every little thing. Her mother had a nice taste, picking only the best for her, but was always rejected immediately just because of her unreasonable aversion to dresses.

At least, so far, he had been allowed to just stand aside and watch.

Not anymore.

All of a sudden, her intense eyes were on him, pinning him on the spot.

"Toushiro, I beg you." She looked desperate surprisingly enough. "Tell mother you'd honestly never wish to see me in a dress."

"..."

Seriously...

Her request couldn't be more absurd. Even so, he found it simply hard to refuse her. It might not even that farfetched here if she asked him with her hair down, he would comply without thinking. That was the effect she had on him which made her to him the scariest woman he had ever known, more than even the late Captain of the Fourth Division.

Thankfully, he was spared from having to make a difficult choice thanks again to her mother who soon stepped in with a look of disbelief.

"What a thoughtless woman you are, Winter. Don't you realize that you are going to wear a dress eventually when the two of you get married?"

"No, because we're only going to get married in your dream."

Ouch.

"How dare you?! You promised me a grandson with gorgeous turquoise eyes."

"I did not!" The daughter stubbornly scowled. "Besides, for your information, a child can be made without getting married."

"Goodness..." The mother suddenly looked wishful for some reason. "Are you telling me that you two are already expecting one here?"

"What on Remnant are you even getting at now, old woman?!"

The rude outburst was enough to make said old woman flinch, but then, she turned toward her dream son in law pleadingly as if asking for confirmation.

... Really now?

Did she honestly think he could still be here if he had even tried to bed her scary daughter?

It got even more absurd when the supposedly scary daughter turned her attention to him too curiously. He was about to join her side before this, quelling her mother's wishfulness as carefully as possible, but the look of amusement now on her face made him not sure anymore. She seemed to quite enjoy watching him in this difficult predicament, and it tempted him to come out with something that should change that instead.

The sudden sound of incoming call from his relatively new Scroll saved him from making the seriously wrong decision to his relief.

"Please excuse me for a moment."

It went smoothly enough as he was excused to leave with the mother's kind nod despite the suspicious look the daughter gave him. A bit of breathing space from those two was appreciated at the moment as much as he liked their company. And, hopefully, they would already be done by the time he returned.

Some fresh air was what he needed for the time being.

In a matter of seconds, he was already on top of the roof, enjoying Atlas scenery that he had come to cherish for a moment before finally checking his still noisy Scroll. It was actually quite unexpected that he received a call since he barely had any contacts saved in this new device. Though, once he found that it was from a new one addressed simply as 'nosy bird', he picked it up somewhat impatiently.

"What?"

"_Oh? So eager, aren't we?_"

"Honestly, birdie, I regret giving you this number already."

"_Love you too, um, your name. Time for you to at least give me your name because I got something you want to hear with me._"

This better be worth it.

"Toushiro Hitsugaya."

"_Hmm, foreign name. I love foreign names. Would you mind if I call you, Toushi?_"

"Whatever. Just get on with it."

"_Sure. Sure. I think I know where the 'correct' stranger is this time._"

Finally.

"Well? Where is he?"

"_A hidden castle in the heart of Land of Darkness where the immortal mistress of all Grimm resides. Apparently, he has been her guest there for quite sometime, but for some reason, only showed himself___ recently_. I went there to see for myself, only for him to blast off the rocky mountain I perched upon from afar without warning._"

"That confirms you have found the correct stranger."

"_Not sure how I feel about it, though. I mean, maybe he just hates birds that much, but___ still..._ he looks so evil... dangerous... invincible... The worst thing possible. I was lucky to escape in time, but __that strange, dark orb of doom would be my new nightmare for sure._"

Perfectly understandable the first time seeing a Cero.

"I don't mean to make you feel better, but it's my responsibility to put an end to him."

"_... You serious?_"

"Absolutely."

A brief pause on the other end.

"_Well, it's good to know you___, Toushi_, even just briefly._"

"..."

"_I mean, I know you're unbelievably strong yourself, the strongest stranger I've ever known ___ in fact, _by a long shot, but the other one is simply on his own level. I just know it. He just gives off the vibe of a villain, the villain, the one you'd supposedly find only as the final boss in hardcore multiplayer games!_"

Not that far off, actually.

"You're not wrong. He one shot me is pretty much possible in my current state just as it is possible for me to do the opposite in my full power."

"_Wait, what?__ You're not in full power here?_"

"Due to an unexpected circumstance, I've been left with just a fraction of my power for the next ten years."

"_What a shame then___... _ You'd die long__ before your first year___ here____ __even__ passes_ if you___ still_ insist on challenging that final boss._"

Just the 'confidence' he needed.

"You should learn that power is not everything, birdie. Just like in games, winning against all odds is possible if you're good and resourceful enough."

And he definitely was.

The four special halberds for the sealing technique were ready to use, thanks to his Schnee woman for providing the needed materials.

There was also a plan B in case things went horribly wrong. This one would be considerably harder to pull off, however. The cost was not something that could be taken lightly as well, not that he minded. After all, even things like losing an arm, literally, would not faze someone of his caliber.

After a moment of silence, a sigh came from the other end of the call.

"_Well, good luck then. Wish I could help more. Can't say I really mean that, though. Sorry. Anything else you want from me?_"

"..."

"_For free. Consider it as a farewell gift._"

How 'kind' of her.

It might be worth giving a shot, though, since he did have one other thing to figure out.

"Nicholas Schnee. There's a good chance that he's still alive somewhere. Find out about his whereabouts if you can."

"_Oh? Wishing to ask for grandfather's blessing, aren't you? Why don't you save yourself the trouble and just visit his grave?_"

"..."

"_Oh, please. Even birds can see that you and your oh scary 'Miss Schnee' are practically married already._"

Not so worth it after all.

"Goodbye, birdie. It's not that good to know you."

"_How cold. Still, I'll think about it, Toushi, just because I've taken a liking to you if nothing else. Bye._"

Not sure if that was a good thing.

The bird woman was not someone to be trusted, he could tell easily. Though he had to admit that it felt rather nice to have someone genuinely take interest in him when most tended to stay away due to his nature. It might not even farfetched for him to tolerate her presence eventually if he just gave her a chance. Sadly, such a thing was still not enough to make him reconsider deleting 'nosy bird' from his list of contacts.

Another sudden call stopped him at the last second.

To his strangely pleasant dread, it was from none other than the one addressed simply as 'scary snow'. He knew he really should change it soon before she found out about it or he would pay dearly. He knew better, though, that his current priority was answer her.

"Yes?"

"_Must you wait like a bum just to answer my call?_"

Ouch.

"Sorry. I've been somewhat occupied by the thought of that earlier call."

"_From who?_"

"..."

"_A woman?_"

"... Yes?"

A dreadful pause from the other end.

"_I see. Just come back here as soon as you're done. Mother keeps asking about you._"

"... Understood."

Why did he feel like a cheating bastard as the call ended with her sounding maybe hurt?

―

Sometimes, she wondered why she had to be born in a high class society. All the proper etiquette and moral sense that came with the upbringing might be the only things that she could honestly appreciate about it. Though she was sure she could acquire such things naturally on her own even if she lived in some cold mountainside away from society. That was honestly much more preferable for her, just living there peacefully with her younger siblings. Sadly, even if given the choice, she didn't think she could just settle there because this society had inevitably shaped her to live differently.

Ambition was not something that could simply be let go once someone got introduced to it.

In Winter Schnee's case, her personal ambition was actually nothing superfluous. She just did not want to be helpless in this hard world she lived in. That was why she joined the military. It facilitated her ambition, giving her the best chance to take action when necessary. There was, after all, no better feeling to her than knowing that she had made a difference with her action.

It was honestly quite noble of her, and simple.

She asked nothing much.

The sad thing was, her own father, someone who should've given her the most support, had done nothing all her life but oppose her strictly. That was still fine with her. She had managed to just block him out of her life ever since turning old enough to live by herself. Then he had to mess that up out of the blue by pretending to care when it was more than obvious that he was only leeching off her accomplishment for the sake of his own ambition. That was very low even for him, and as if to add insult to injury, he put her in a situation where she had to wear a dress!

The nerve of that stinky old man!

Her mother was definitely the dumbest woman alive for willing to marry such a foul leech.

It was such a disgrace to know that her Quincy blood had been contaminated by him.

If she had not been seated next to her most respected superior here, she would've gone up there to the podium where he hogged the spotlit to give him the bitch slap he deserved. That might be the only thing she could consider as an acceptable compensation for being forced to wear a dress for this so called party. There was one other person responsible for this, though. Thinking about her missing partner, she excused herself quietly to find him and maybe demand a compensation from him too.

Another kiss would be nice...

Sadly, she just couldn't think of a way to ask for it without embarrassing herself. This could've been much easier if only she gave him a real answer back when he practically asked her if she would like them to be a couple. The regret was getting real, and by the time she found him sitting alone, away from others, probably to avoid her meddling mother, she came to him with no idea what to do. That was until the familiar sight of what he was wearing made her frown.

"Don't tell me that you insisted to come later just so you could get away with coming in your uniform even after mother bought you a nice suit."

She caught him stiffen slightly.

"Well, to be fair, she bought it with the assumption that we would come here together."

"But we did not." Her eyes narrowed. "You just don't want to be seen with me because you actually think I'm ugly in a dress."

Was she?

That was not even funny.

It seemed that her aversion to dresses had come to the point that she became paranoid about her still flawless as ever look. The modestly elegant turquoise dress her mother had finally managed to get her to wear only made her look even more stunning in all honesty. Thinking back here, he knew he would've been done for if only her mother had also managed to get her to let her hair down freely on top of that.

After a moment, she wordlessly took a seat across from him, and he realized then that he had been staring.

"Sorry, but I don't think you know what ugly means, Miss Schnee."

"... I'll take that as a compliment. But then why did you not even bother to look for me once you're here?"

"Text messages kept me busy."

He showed the Scroll in his hand, but all it did was making her suspicious.

"No offense, but I thought you have barely any contacts there, much less one you'd care to exchange messages with. You rarely ever do that even with me..."

Ouch.

She just knew how to make him feel guilty, and this time, guilty enough that he decided to be somewhat honest.

"I met this one only recently in Vale. It was just a strange and unexpected encounter that ended with me giving her my number somehow."

"She?" Her eyes narrowed again. "... That woman?"

"Yes..."

"Don't mind me then." She looked away, clearly hurt. "I'm just here to wait for the party to end without anyone bothering me."

End of conversation.

It was only silence between them after that with him feeling too guilty to break it and her too hurt. Eventually, a seemingly rich snob was bold enough even just barely to intrude and ask her for a dance, and surprisingly enough, she complied without a word. He intentionally looked away at this, ironically missing the longing look she gave him as she left. Then it was back only him alone at the secluded table.

No one else dared to get close to his intimidating presence, not until one particular father somehow gathered enough courage to take his daughter's place.

"Mind if I sit here?"

"This place belongs to your family, sir."

For some reason, it seemed more like a king granting a lowly subject permission, but the latter here was fortunately wise enough not to complain.

"Of course..." His nervousness was apparent as he took a seat. "It's to be expected that you know me already, gentleman, considering how close you are to my eldest, but I'm afraid I have only heard of you."

"As it should be. I am called a Secret-Specialist here for a reason."

"Ah, fair enough. You must be a very important figure in the military then. It makes me wonder, however, why someone like you takes interest in that stubborn daughter of mine."

"Is the fact that she is one admirable woman not enough?"

"Well, I don't mean to disregard her accomplishments. It's just often difficult to take her seriously when everything she does is only to prove her independence from the family like a rebellious teenager."

It immediately dawned on the haughty father then that he should've put that better when the guest coldly narrowed his eyes.

"Sir, has it ever crossed your mind that you think too highly of yourself and the family?"

"P- Pardon?"

"As one who's full of ambition, you shouldn't have any problem to see that your daughter also has her own ambition no matter how different it is from yours, one that has nothing to do with her family."

And that marked the start of eye-opening lessons that would make a significant impact on the Schnee household.

―

It was always good to put a fool to their place especially a pompous one. He often lost track of time when he did such things as this night proved it. By the time he decided to finally 'finish off' the Schnee father, it was near midnight with the party practically over and the daughter nowhere to be seen. He hurriedly got back then, only to find that she had already retired for the night.

The whole thing made him feel even more guilty.

Now, here he was, standing nervously in front of her bedroom door, building up enough courage just to knock so he could try to apologize. He managed to do it once, and as expected, got no response. His hand, however, wasn't ready to give up as it unconsciously moved to the doorknob. He felt somewhat horrified then when the door opened easily to show him her dimly lit bedroom where she laid quietly on the bed with her back to him.

Run!

That was what his instinct told him, but his heart was simply too dense to heed it.

The sight of her still wearing a dress of all things here said enough that he really needed to apologize. He came in then despite the risk, but she still made no move even at the sound of him closing the door again behind him. Knowing that she was not asleep, he just looked uncertainly at her lying form until he found that she had not even bothered to take off the uncomfortable heels. This served as an invitation for him to come closer and do it for her.

Careful...

Done.

It left him feeling awkward, but then unexpectedly, he took further risk by sitting down on the bed next to her feet to just get on with it.

"I'm sorry for making your evening even worse."

"..."

"I shouldn't have left you going through that alone."

"... You could've still made it better by asking me for a dance maybe, but no, you just let a random snob take that chance away. It was such an unpleasant experience, you know, but I could stand it, still. That was until I saw you having an easy time talking with my father."

"Well..."

As he thought of a safe response, she suddenly sat up with a scowl.

"My leech of a father of all people!"

"I get it!" He cowered slightly. "To be fair, though, he's simply pathetic once you put him to his place, nothing so evil."

"..."

"He even gave me a lot of praises by the end."

"... Let me guess." Her so familiar unimpressed look replaced the scowl. "You've managed to become his dream son in law too."

Surprisingly spot on.

"You can say that..."

"For goodness' sake..." It seemed like she was ready to strangle him before eventually sighing in defeat. "Now we're practically married, aren't we?"

Well...

It had been more than a month since they started living together. They had effortlessly fallen into some kind of routine with each of them taking domestic roles they had agreed upon without much words. Their trust for each other had turned up to be so real that not even things like a painful revelation could create a divide between them. Everything just felt natural that before any of them knew it, they had come to this unexpected point where everyone in her family supported them wholeheartedly.

What a strange turn of events, yet not one even he could honestly deny.

"I guess..."

"Really, unnecessary wedding aside, the only thing left for us to do at this point is consummate our marriage."

She had to be kidding, not that she had ever done that, but still...

"You don't mean it, Miss Schnee."

"I do if you stop calling me that."

"That's a relief then."

That meant he had no intention to stop, and if he could reject her indirectly that way, all the better. Sadly, he seemed not to realize how unnecessarily mean that made him sound to be. The way she then insecurely hugged herself showed how much it affected her.

"Must you be so insulting about it?"

"Huh?"

"Just say it directly if you don't want to have sex with me."

"..."

"I know I have no experience and all, but I'm perfectly fine with that, having no plan to change that at all... until I know you..."

There.

It took a lot for someone as proud and distant as her to confess such things, and he could see that clearly. There was nothing more she could say to convince him that she meant it, not that he could possibly ask for more. Whether she knew it or not, she had successfully conquered him right then and there.

No longer able to resist, he moved even closer to her, making her look puzzled, before carefully reaching behind her to free her hair from its prim bun.

"You know, I always wish to do that since the first time I saw you with your hair down."

"... Why?"

"Figure it out yourself, Winter."

"Would you just stop calling me Miss -"

Hold on...

Not Miss Schnee?

Winter at last?!

She didn't have a chance to confirm it, though, because suddenly, she got what she wanted earlier this evening without even trying. He did it again, kissing her, without warning too just like the first time, not that she minded, not at all. On the contrary, as he then laid her down on the bed, it just pleased her to see him taking the lead, proving that her desire was not one sided. There was also the fact that she really had no experience, so it really was for the best.

Some passionate moments later, as he let her take a break, he took the time to appreciate the sight of her lying breathless beneath him.

"Honestly, it's beyond me too that you dislike wearing a dress with how good it looks on you, Winter."

"Hey!" A silly grin graced her face. "You just said my name again."

"Yes, just like I said the dress looks good on you."

Hmm, he really deserved a reward here, so...

"Thanks, but I still don't like it, so take it off me already."

There was no way he needed to be told twice.

In a matter of seconds, he took off his shirt before doing the same to her expensive dress, leaving her only in her underwear. Here, they unconsciously paused, entranced by each other's marvelous body, though it only lasted until their building desires eventually got them to continue where they left off. More and more touchings inevitably ensued, making her surrender to the passion. And before she knew it, she found herself wearing nothing anymore with him just done unbuckling his trousers.

They were really going to do it...

As much as she wanted it, however, there was something she needed to set straight first.

"A moment please." It eased her in her breathlessness to see him comply immediately. "Before we go further, I need you to answer something."

"Just ask."

"What's the deal between you and that woman you've been in contact with recently?"

Fair enough.

No point in hiding it, he decided, straightening up slightly to meet her eyes.

"She's just nosy, insisting to get me any information I want in return of satisfying her curiosity, but she didn't disappoint. From her, I learned that the real, main reason I am here is still completely valid."

Her suspicion disappeared then as she quickly understood.

"Your power has not returned, Toushiro..." Her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Have you really considered about this?"

"Yes. I'm prepared enough now for the inevitable thanks to you."

"Sadly, as much as I wish to help you more, I know I would only get in the way..." She looked sad for a moment before reaching up to him invitingly. "I'm sorry that this Quincy couldn't offer you enough power yet, only comfort."

And that was already more than he could ask from her.

His remaining clothes were gone almost immediately before he reclaimed his position above her lying form. Their lips met again right away, and they only broke apart when it was no longer possible to hold back their desires. As he pulled away, he took a moment to just caress her face, down to her breasts, stomach, and hips, before eventually settling his hands on her thighs. Then, to her surprise, he raised her legs to rest them comfortably on his shoulders as he prepared himself. The feel of him nudging her virgin entrance made her shiver in anticipation.

Their eyes momentarily met.

With her nod of consent, he entered her finally in one thrust, making her winch slightly. She honestly couldn't believe something this big could fit inside her, but here it was. Thankfully, he was thoughtful enough to wait for her, but after a moment with him only staring down despite her pain already lessened, she grew quite concerned.

"Toushiro, what's wrong?"

"... Blut Venne." Carefully, he caressed the bluish pattern that had appeared on her lower stomach at his intrusion. "It seems that your blood is strongly against our union..."

As shown with this rather extreme reaction, their kinds were polar opposites really for a reason, not that she cared anymore.

"Well, that rude blood of mine better learn to deal with it because you, only you, have permission to be with me from now on."

Apparently, she was scary enough to even scare her blood because the sight soon disappeared, allowing their lovemaking to finally continue.

They started slow and deep to savor the sensation thoroughly. It was only when the long feet still on his shoulders began to move impatiently that he gripped her waist firmly and picked up the pace. She got what she silently wished, but in return, it got harder for her to remain quiet with each powerful thrust he gave her. Her melodious moans filled the room, and soon, turned into a cry as an overwhelming sense of pleasure overcame her so intensely.

Amazing...

Then, another followed before long, and another, and another...

Too much...

Desperate to reach the end, she took an initiative at last by pulling him down to her with her legs. It took him somewhat off guard, but there was no way he'd complain at the sight of her lovely face with her hair down messily up close. With both hands set firmly by her sides, securely caging her, he pounded her then vigorously. There was nothing she could do but whimper desperately as the intense sensation continued to build up until it finally happened. And it could only be called heavenly as he penetrated her as deep as possible to fill her earnestly with his seed, claiming her from within.

Here, lost in bliss together, without even realizing it, they were on their way to find out the answer to her sleepy question back then...

* * *

**I'll just say they deserve it before things turn for the worse.**


	7. arm

**Now that our protagonists are practically married, it's time for honey- No! Sorry, you two, but no. It is about time for the real conflict to finally start.**

**Warning: even a heavenly guardian****** has a bit of dirty thought too sometimes.**  
**

**07**

* * *

Toushiro Hitsugaya was absolutely no stranger to women's breasts what with someone like Rangiku Matsumoto always by his side for so long. It had taken him leaving the Tenth Division for good to finally escape her clutches. That might be the only thing he appreciated about his promotion because contrary to popular beliefs, being smothered so frequently by her breasts was not that pleasant experience. It had come to the point that by the time he grew up, the constant exposure to them had left him somewhat numb to women's breasts in general.

Curse that troublesome woman.

After all, if he had grown sick of the very things that had been unofficially considered as one of 'great wonders' in Soul Society, no other else in the world could hope to impress him.

Winter Schnee surprisingly changed that in another world.

As he laid here on her bed with her sleeping figure clinging snugly to his side, the feel of her ample breasts pressed against his left arm was nothing short of heavenly. They were of course still in no way comparable to his former Lieutenant's in size. Even so, as already shown with his thorough attention to them the night before, he somehow found them perfectly impressive.

Maybe it was the sheer fullness that just fit -

What the hell was wrong with his mind?!

That was so not the reason he was suddenly awakened.

Putting an abrupt stop to the outrageous train of thought, he carefully pried his arm from the sleeping woman's possessive hold. A moan of protest left her lips instantly as if she was afraid to lose it, but fortunately, it was still way too early for her to wake up. He took this chance to leave the bed then even though the naked sight of her made it borderline impossible. The urge to have her again was almost overwhelming, but he distracted himself by pulling up the comforter over her naked body before quickly putting his clothes back on.

Someone was waiting after all.

The bird woman as it seemed.

He had no idea how she got in, but her sudden presence was what had alerted him to wake up. It was best to confront her before she could cause trouble, so with one last look at his partner, he left the room. And soon enough, there he found the uninvited guest sitting leisurely in the living room.

Red eyes gleamed in amusement as she scrunched up her nose teasingly.

"Hmm, such an arousing smell... How many times did you two go at it last night?"

"About five."

"Damn..." An amazed whistle left her mouth. "You've gotta be too worn out now. Should I come back later?"

"How did you get yourself here?"

"My Semblance. Trust me, Toushi, it's quite a surprise to me too to find that I've grown a deep enough connection to you for it to work with you."

She had mentioned that special ability of hers to him in her massages. He had not taken it seriously then, thinking that it was just another attempt to entice him. Regardless, she was here now, and it was better for a good reason to interrupt his blissful morning.

"What do you want, birdie?"

"Join you two for the next round maybe?"

"..."

The unimpressed look he gave her only made her chuckle.

"Such a cold rejection for poor old me." She let out another chuckle before finally getting somewhat serious. "It's for the best, I guess, since we must leave soon if you're still insistence to fight the final boss."

"He makes a move already?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Wait here."

If he expected her to comply, he shouldn't have bothered because she stood up at once to follow him quite eagerly. His first stop was the bathroom, but to her disappointment, he slammed the door in her face before she could join him, so she waited begrudgingly until he came out. The same pretty much happened at the next stop as he entered his room to change, making her roll her eyes in irritation. Though it was all momentarily forgotten when she found the last stop to be the kitchen.

"How thoughtful of you." A grin formed on her face at the sight of him quickly making some nice sandwiches. "I haven't had a chance to get any breakfast."

"Feel free to make some yourself."

"Hey now..." A frown quickly replaced the grin. "You can't possibly be so mean as to eat by yourself in front of an older lady."

"These are not for me."

It didn't take long for things to click together in her mind.

"Ooh!" The grin returned teasingly in full force. "What a good _wife_ you are."

"..."

"The oh scary Miss Schnee is so lucky to have you. Seriously. I feel kinda jealous here."

Well, she honestly did, but teasing him was way more fun to her. It had become her personal goal to see him blush as unlikely as it was to ever happen. For the moment, though, she decided to give him a break, feeling content with just watching him be a responsible man. He paid her no mind as he finished his work before leaving it on the dining table with a little note.

\- _Not a proper breakfast, sorry. I'll make up for it___ later_ with dinner._ -

She snorted in amusement at this, but once again, was ignored. The clearly responsible man just left her without a glance, heading back to his room. Seeing this, she hurriedly caught up to him. There was no way she'd miss the opportunity to get in there again.

... What a let down.

The room looked as minimalist as it could possibly get. There was nothing interesting for her to see here since he had already changed earlier, except for the exceptionally long katana that soon found its place strapped to his back. Her interest was then picked, however, when he opened the wardrobe. Silently hoping that he decided to change again for some reason, she got only disappointment as he took out what appeared to be weapons.

Four of them.

Four strange halberds that soon joined the sword on his back in pairs to form a cross.

"Let me get this straight." She looked on skeptically. "Your solution to take on the final boss is to bring more weapons?"

"They serve more as tools."

"What for?"

"One of the most powerful sealing techniques."

That didn't sound too bad...

Raven had decided to come to him all the way here honestly because he seemed to be the only hope the whole Remnant had against the impending doom. It was only logical for her to side with him if she wished to survive. The chance might be very slim still for it to work, but what other option did she have?

―

It had been a while since Salem could feel this at east in her own castle. Relaxing in the library with only a book as company, she knew fully well that it was only possible with Arturo's absent. He was currently away to make a move at last, starting with the very place she had last failed as if to mock her, not that she cared much. This temporary freedom from his unnerving presence was all that mattered to her at the moment even though she could no longer completely call this place hers.

At least the large building did not feel so empty anymore.

After her only friend's transformation into the first ever Returned-Grimm, the Arrancar had not wasted time to search for more potential Grimm all across Land of Darkness to transform. This resulted in him being referred as Lord Progenitor by all Returned-Grimm who now lived in the castle. Most of them had multi digits number, making them what he called only as Numeros. However, there were two exceptions, and following Lena who was the already established Octava, they earned the right to become Espada.

Quattro and Sexta

The former had been chosen to accompany their new lord. The latter meanwhile had been ordered to watch over things here. As it stood, however, he was the one needed to be watched over most of the time due to his recklessness.

It made Salem worried then when the one who had volunteered to do it walked into the library to join her.

"Lena, you know I'm always happy to see you, but aren't you supposed to keep the brute from destroying the castle?"

"Calm down, mistress." The female Espada calmly took a seat beside her. "I've successfully goaded Sexta to play with his new power outside. He's too busy destroying the landscapes now to cause any trouble."

Back to how it used to then.

Before being transformed, the brute had been well known already as a wild, very rare Minotaur Grimm. His rampage throughout the land often caused death to many other Grimm. He was powerful enough back then to tear apart even an Alpha Megoliath easily but too wild for Salem unfortunately to control. And now that he had become much more powerful as an Espada-class Returned-Grimm, she was wise enough to keep her distance. It filled her with relief then to know that her friend could keep him in check.

"Thank you, my friend. I don't know what would've become of me without you."

"It is nothing. As destructive as Sexta is, he's still not much of a threat compared to Quattro."

"Of course..."

Salem also knew that one. He was an extraordinary case as a Grimm, being the only King Taijitu she had ever known to intentionally bite off one of its head just to be whole. It should have left him crippled, but instead, his power only grew until he turned into a never seen before elder serpentine Grimm. As a supposedly mindless creature, he also strangely didn't trust her, always threatening her to stay away from his nest with dangerous energy blasts. It had been a surprise to her then to see him instantly welcome Arturo including the attack that transformed him into an Espada-class Returned-Grimm.

There already was no denying that the Quattro was most loyal to the so called Lord Progenitor.

The thought made the former master of Grimm look distressed, and the one who was still loyal to her didn't like it.

"Do not fret, my mistress." Eerie red eyes shone with reassurance. "I might only be an Octava, but Espada rank is determined by level of spiritual power alone. So, if it comes down to it, I will kill them both and even the eventual top three for you."

"Lena..."

It might be selfish of Salem, but she couldn't help feeling grateful for her friend's transformation despite the cruelness of the process. Her face softened as she gazed fondly at the female Espada. As a Grimm, she already looked majestic with her winged-horse form, but her current humanoid form was simply beautiful. Her kind's signature traits that told their origin might look fearsome, like the ghostly white hair and pitch black skin with minor white parts and red lines, but in her case, they only complimented her beauty.

The fact that they were here for each other, however, was still what mattered the most with the future being disturbingly uncertain.

―

Walking down the hallways of the military headquarters, her very workplace for years, had never been this difficult, and not because it was her first day of work as the commander in chief of her unit.

No.

The reason was honestly very simple, personal, and rather embarrassing...

Her body felt very sore especially down there between her legs since she woke up alone this morning.

The fact that the one responsible was nowhere to be found had gotten her mind off the discomfort at first as she went through her morning. It admittedly kind of hurt too. She understood his reasoning well enough from the little note found with the simple breakfast he had still cared to prepare for her despite the apparent urgency. That was much appreciated and even sweet of him in fact. Still, as a woman, the selfish part of her wished that they could've at least spent their first morning as lovers together...

If only it was proper to sigh in public, she would've done so multiple times already.

She was Winter Schnee, however, one of the most prominent figure currently in Atlesian Military. Thus she made sure to carefully maintain her usual poised and proud stature despite the troubles she was having with her body and mind as she continued painfully walking down to her new office. The unusual sight of her without the company of her partner was quite curious for sure, but it didn't stop her. Her walk only stopped for a moment when she received a sudden massage from her esteemed superior.

The general expected her presence in his office, the office located on the other side of the massive building...

Dammit.

If only it was proper to curse out loud too.

Her sore body protested right away as she then dragged it down to the opposite direction, but she'd be damned if her professionalism got compromised just because of such a silly thing. It would save her the trouble if she just flash-stepped there, but the risk of her stumbling down like an idiot was too high in this condition. That meant her safest bet to get through this with her reputation intact was to bear with it and keep on walking.

Propriety be damned.

She let out a light sigh of relief as she reached her destination at last before knocking politely. Her superior's familiar voice came through the door in response, telling her to enter, and she did so immediately. Unexpectedly enough, however, he was not alone there in his spacious office, having been engaged in a jovial conversation with his old friend who was non other than the headmaster of Beacon.

The bespectacled man quickly turned to greet her with a smile.

"Good morning, Miss Winter. It's nice to meet you again. Please forgive me for asking James to call you here without proper notice."

"It is no problem, professor."

Well, not really.

At this moment, her superior seemed to notice her discomfort.

"Sit down, Schnee." He waited until she did as told before continuing. "Ozpin here actually comes all the way from Vale to personally thank you for your heroic action there during the chaos."

"That is right, Miss Winter. I don't even know if I could be here alive now without your help back there."

Who knew that being regarded like a hero didn't feel that much comfortable?

"I am glad to be of help." She still smiled politely. "Although it all wouldn't have been possible without my partner's sound advice and assistance."

"Ah, Mister Toushiro Hitsugaya, correct?"

"Yes."

"We only had a chance to meet briefly unfortunately, but I wish to thank him as well if possible."

Well, too bad it was not possible.

Once again, her superior was keen enough to notice the shift on her expression, and frowned in puzzlement.

"Schnee, I thought it was a given that you bring him here with you."

"Pardon me, sir, but he is currently away for an important matter."

No more needed to be said.

"I see." The general quickly nodded in understanding. "I admit, however, that it has become simply strange not to see the both of you together."

"... Sir?"

"There is no need to worry. I fully trust you both in particular to maintain perfect professionalism regardless your personal relationship."

"..."

She just didn't know what to think because as it seemed, her most respected superior had come to know her all too well. Really, she didn't even get the chance to hide this whole very new relationship. Still, it was a good thing, she supposed, that it didn't get them into trouble.

Not that it was any less embarrassing.

Thankfully, the guess from Vale only chuckled lightly before getting somewhat serious.

"Actually, Miss Winter, about your partner, the other reason I come here is to learn more about him. He seems to be a truly interesting individual."

Seriously...

Her hesitation didn't go unnoticed by her superior who then nodded in assurance.

"It is fine, Schnee. There is no one we can trust more than Ozpin. And I am sure Master Hitsugaya wouldn't mind if you share what you know about him with us now, seeing how at home he has grown to be here in Atlas."

True...

Thus, taking a deep breath, she began to explain all she knew about her partner. Surprisingly enough, however, as bizarre as things like Shinigami, Hollow, and Hueco Mundo were, her words were not at all met with skepticism. The two most important figures in Remnant carefully listened to her, responding only with intelligent questions here and there. This made it easier for her to speak even the discovery of her Quincy heritage. And once it was done, she just let them mull over everything in silence.

Suddenly, a noise came from the professor's Scroll kept in his coat pocket. He paused in his thought to check it, reading the message carefully. A puzzled frown soon crossed his features before he looked up again.

"It's from Glynda. She just told me to quick check the news on the tv..."

Strange.

However, the general, knowing his old friends more than well already to tell that it was important, immediately turned on the large screen in his office that was already set to a news channel by default. No one knew exactly what to expect here. Still, it didn't make the strange view that greeted them on the screen any less alarming.

The back of a white-haired man in a black attire with a strange hole somehow going through his chest...

Minutes passed and nothing happened, but it only made the whole thing feel ominous. Then the anticipated moment finally came as the man slowly turned around to reveal himself. Nothing told much about his identity still, but both men in the room felt a shiver ran down their spines all the same at what they saw.

This mysterious figure shared an eerie resemblance in his features with none other Salem herself. It was as though they were of the same kind, the same cursed beings that seemed more Grimm than human. Their resemblance didn't stop there, however, as his ominous stare showed only evil intentions.

"_You mortals have two choices._" The momentary pause promised only dread. "_Absolute submission or complete extinction._"

It couldn't have been more blunt, and no one, sane or not, could possibly deny the terrifying threat it conveyed. Though, as if to show some prove, the camera slowly zoomed out. It was then shown that the figure was in fact standing high in the air. This was not the most shocking sight, however, because there under him could be seen a massive crater in the center of a ruined yet still familiar city.

Vale...

The professor who was most responsible for the safety of the place stood up tremblingly in shock, but before he could say anything, something else suddenly happened there.

A great, golden lightning burst forth from the sky, striking down the evil figure standing alone in the air without warning.

Hado #63. Raikoho

Winter could recognize it unconsciously, but at this moment, her thought was only filled with worry for the one certainly responsible for it...

―

Flashy entry aside, it was actually quite pitiful for someone of Toushiro Hitsugaya's caliber to have to put that much effort just for a mid-level Kido spell. Even worse, it was apparently not even worth it because immediately, three Bala shot up at him in return from within the resulting explosion. He flash-stepped away in time to avoid them and appear a safe distance away. The explosion dissipated soon afterward, further proving how not worth it it was as the target came out to be practically unscathed.

"I should've known that you followed me to the promised land, Shinigami. But what is wrong with you?" The Arrancar turned slowly to glare. "I actually braced that attack, thinking that it would at least send me crashing down, but it barely even ruffled me as it turned out."

"Why didn't you just dodge?"

Still as annoying as before.

"Only the weak dodge an attack!"

"But you wouldn't have easily lost to me that first time if only you learned to dodge."

He got a point...

Not that Arturo would ever admit it as he already started to lose his temper talking to this insolent enemy of his.

"That is beside the point. Don't change the subject, Shinigami!" His firsts clenched tightly in anger. "I swear if you take me lightly just from winning once before, I'll make you pay with your annoying life!"

"You'll do the same regardless."

"No! I'll... Right..."

"Told you."

This was not how it was supposed to turn out.

All the audiences of the live news broadcast had to be laughing by now at the mysterious figure who promised absolute terror just a few minutes ago. He had literally been made a complete fool in his own show. The instinctive response he had for this humiliation was of course to charge up a Cero and be done with it, but then right as he was about to do so, he found something peculiar.

Here his insolent enemy's presence somehow felt more human than Shinigami...

It might explain why the supposedly dangerous attack earlier felt unexpectedly underwhelming. He couldn't care less about the reason behind this, however. What had actually transpired from the time their battle ended in Hueco Mundo barely mattered anymore. All he knew was that his enemy's formidable power by this point had been reduced into a mere fraction of its former glory, and it did nothing but sicken him.

"Get lost, Shinigami. I have no time to waste with the weakling you've become."

"You're mistaken. I am here to defeat you again, not waste your time."

How absurd.

"Fool! As you are now, you can barely even be called a Shinigami."

"And you barely look like an Arrancar now. Regardless, I'll still defeat you."

"Then how?" The mocking was more than clear. "With those bunch of weapons on your back?"

"Let's see."

With that, the Shinigami reached to the weapons behind him, taking one special halberd in each hand before aiming them steadily to the target. Said target just scoffed at this and stood his ground to prove his previous claim about dodging if nothing else. In fact, as the weapons flew toward him, he made a point to catch them. He didn't get a chance, however, because both weapons didn't actually strike him, but instead, emitted golden electricity that trapped each of his reaching hands before forcefully puling them apart.

This was not a joke surprisingly enough.

Gritting his teeth, the Arrancar tried to free himself with his sheer strength to no avail. He screamed furiously as he found himself stuck on the spot and could only resort to fight back by firing a pair of Bala from his eyes. But his enemy just proved the value of dodging in response, before launching off the remaining pair of halberds. They targeted the feet this time to follow what had already been done to the hands.

Shiso Kekkai

Preparation complete.

Even by this point, no matter how powerful the target was, it was nigh impossible to break out of the revered 'Quad Burial Barrier' procession by themselves. The one thing that could potentially interrupt it was only outside interference, something that it was ironically vulnerable to. That was why the practitioner did not waste any time to invoke the incantation required to complete the sealing process.

Not quick enough still.

The unwanted scenario happened without warning.

Silently, Toushiro cursed his luck, stopping abruptly the sacred words he was about to recite. There was nothing he could do as the golden electricity dissipated just as it finished circling the screaming target. And it only happened because the four halberds powering the spell had all been broken in a matter of seconds by a strange figure in white who seemed to come out of nowhere.

Definitely not human.

The presence was more like Hollow or Grimm to be exact.

It became apparent when the figure stopped respectfully next to the one he just freed, showing clearly the hole located on his left shoulder. He wore a similar attire to the Arrancar, but his was white in color instead of black. And under the hood attached to it was a pitch black face akin to Grimm. It was actually a quite feminine face with seemingly long white hair, but the physique was most likely that of a male, not that it mattered. He appeared to possess tremendous power all the same, though it was kept in check as he turned to bow at the powerful Arrancar standing next to him.

"Forgive my interference, my lord, but I just could not stay waiting in camouflage any longer with you in such a predicament."

"Do not apologize for proving your worth." The lord in question looked perfectly pleased before turning his attention back to his enemy. "Now, Shinigami, you'll learn who it is that just ruined your plan."

The responding shrug couldn't be more annoying as the one who did it showed practically no interest.

"Does it matter?"

Of course not.

For Toushiro, his one chance to come out of this without trouble had lost, not that it affected him much. His only regret was that he would not be able to keep his words to his Schnee woman. There was just no plausible way now for him to come back to her for dinner. In fact, with how badly things turning out here, the chance for him to be back at all was close to zero. It was irrelevant, however, because true Shinigami fulfilled their duty no matter what.

His resolve was undeniably clear.

The sight, combined with the cool indifference, only served to rile up Arturo even further. If he lost it here, no one would be spared from his wrath, no exception. Aware of this, the strange newcomer standing by his side quickly thought up something to ease things off before such an outcome could happen.

Some introduction hopefully would do.

"Dariosis Adder..." He carefully stepped up and pulled down his hood. "That was what I used to be known long ago in Hueco Mundo... But it no longer matters here in Promised Land now that Lord Arturo, the Lord Progenitor, has saved me from the Grimm curse, chosen me to be his Quattro Espada!"

"..."

Well, the cool indifference of this particular Shinigami was indeed annoying, particularly for villains. The revealed Espada now understood what his lord felt here. Holding back a snarl, he looked back respectfully toward the lord Arrancar.

"My lord... As you mentioned before, you have indeed no time to waste with this weakened Shinigami, so please let me take care of it for you."

"Do it."

It was perfectly acceptable.

After all, what better way to get back at his insolent enemy than letting it be done by a mere servant of his?

To be be fair, Arturo had come to favor this particular servant who actually possessed a promising power level near comparable to even the renown Quattro, Ulquiorra Cifer, despite not being a Vasto Lorde originally. His loyal Quattro, from what he had learned, used to be only a greater Adjuchas, but one who dared to desert that pathetic excuse of a king, Barragan, and disregard that manipulative traitor, Aizen. He could honestly commend that kind of individual who sought power in their own terms.

All the same, this one enemy, weakened or not, was absolutely not one to be underestimated. He had learned the hard way for a second time already. The Shinigami, despite not being fully Shinigami anymore, possessed a skill level that was simply beyond even his comprehension.

This would be a battle between powerful and skillful.

It started with a Sonido followed immediately by a lethal swipe from a white, clawed gauntlet which could be still avoided in time by the Shinigami using his own Shunpo. Despite welding his Zanpakuto, blocking or even just parrying was not an option here, considering his lack of power to back it up. Therefore, he could only do the same again to respond the next attack that came so suddenly before retaliating with a quick diagonal slash. It only struck empty air, however, despite the speed and accuracy.

The new Espada's movement was not simply fast but also remarkably fluid like a serpent. Those crimson eyes from his Grimm past glinted with bloodlust as he attacked relentlessly from every direction, changing moves and tempos unpredictably in seconds. A direct hit from those fearsome gauntlets that seemed to be parts of his hands would leave a critical damage for sure. That was if he actually managed to land one, however, because even at this pace, the enemy proved that skill alone could still make up for the lost of power.

Minutes passed intensely, and not even one attack from either of them could find a target.

Eventually, Toushiro decided not to play so 'fair' anymore in this so far melee only battle. He was keeping up still to not give himself away. But under his breath, he performed Niju Eisho, silently reciting the incantations for two Kido spells at once, mixing them together. The result caught the opponent off guard as the yellow energy rope of Bakudo #63 Sajo Sabaku suddenly appeared to bind his body only for it to be used to channel the power of Hado #12 Fushibi instantly.

A large explosion ensued like a great wave in the sky.

It died down moments later to reveal the Espada's somewhat battered form with the binding spell still intact. He was looking down unmoving before slowly opening his mouth to reveal the red number 4 located on his black tongue. It mattered not, however, because right then, his fangs extended, and from them, a strange fluid dripped down to the binding. It was then proven to be highly acidic with the powerful energy rope soon dissolving as he finally looked up.

"Weakened or not, you're really not one to be underestimated, Shinigami... For that, you deserve this..." His now freed right hand moved over the hole on his left shoulder before charging up what surprisingly looked like a Cero. "Resurreccion: Pesquisa!"

The Cero was fired into the hole for real, and at once, a crimson explosion occurred.

What seemed like suicide actually empowered him to a whole new level. Once the explosion's energy was fully absorbed, he appeared in his Resurreccion form. The white parts of his body had become dominant, forming scales-like armor. From the back of each hands, a pair of thin blades protruded like serpent fangs. Red feathers adorned the sides of his head like a crown. However, it was all overshadowed by the tremendous Reiatsu he emitted.

The battle continued immediately and quickly turned to be quite one sided. The empowered Espada, combining his fluid movements with Sonido, easily put his enemy on complete defensive. There was no more retaliation, and when the losing Shinigami finally had to block with his sword, he was sent flying backward by the sheer force of the attack. The attacker followed it immediately with a violet bolt of energy fired from his mouth. The sword managed to block again in time, but at the cost of it being knocked out of the hand holding it.

A Shinigami without Zanpakuto could not appear more vulnerable.

Close to victory, the Espada lost all reason. A quick Sonido sent him forward instantly with deathly blades ready to finish the enemy, forgetting that said enemy was not one to be underestimated no matter what. He was only reminded of this as his supposedly finishing attack struck thin air with the presence of the one he intended to finish somehow appearing behind him.

Senka

Blood spluttered from two points on the unsuspecting target's body where his Saketsu and Hakusui were located. The highly advanced Shunpo technique had successfully pierced both pressure points, sealing up his spiritual power, not that he knew what actually happened. There was simply nothing he could do here as his body fell weakly to the crater below.

Opening pleasantries done.

On to the main event.

There was no need for Toushiro to initiate it because before he could even take a breath, a familiar x-shaped projectile forced him to move away. It was quite a close call, seeing how exhausted he was by this point, not that he expected anything less. His resolve remained unchanged even when a follow up kick that came suddenly with a Sonido hit his blocking arms and sent him crashing down to the crater as well.

It was still a good thing that in his fall, he already anticipated what was coming next, and by the time he hit the ground, he was ready to stand back up right away with left hand outstretched for what he had prepared.

"Hado #58. Tenran."

The expanding tornado blast of the spell soared high just in time to intercept the Cero that followed his fall. And it proved to be effective enough to direct most of the resulting explosion up, away from his vulnerable position on the ground. Some of it still managed to reach him, however, burning the arm channeling the spell quite badly.

A necessary cost, one that was unfortunately still far from enough.

The chaotic clash of Kido and Cero died down only to reveal a barrage of Bala raining down from the sky. He had actually seen it coming, but in his current state, it was simply overwhelming. There was just not enough strength left in him to come out of this even remotely unharmed.

Maybe having a lot of sex prior to a life or death battle was not that good of an idea...

Nonsense.

It might have been the case of an instinct to leave behind his genes instinctively kicking in after foreseeing this kind of outcome without him knowing it.

Now, in all seriousness, he had been doing unbelievably well here despite the odds being absolutely against him. It really went beyond logic that he managed to go this far with how things having gone so horribly wrong. Alas, as it seemed, this was where he was finally put to a stop with his battered form lying down in apparent defeat.

How cathartic.

This was what Arturo Plateado had been literally dying to see since his humiliating defeat in Hueco Mundo. Even then, as he slowly descended from the sky, he refrained himself from claiming the victory too soon. The pathetic sight of his Quattro lying face down hopelessly a distance away reminded him not to make the same mistake. It was important for him to be cautious if he didn't want to face something of the likes of those 'Five Swirling Dragons of Destruction' again. This went quickly out the window, however, once he got closer with one hand at the ready to form his dark saber.

There was no way he, an Arrancar of the greatest power, stopped himself from showing his superiority as he then hoisted up his insolent enemy by the collar.

"Any last words, Shinigami?"

None was expected of course.

However, on the brink of consciousness, the Shinigami's damaged arm rose up weakly to grab the Arrancar's collar in return, followed by a faint whisper.

"Hado #96... Itto Kaso."

And thus crimson cracks of destructive energy quickly formed on the already charred flesh as the spell of sacrifice activated.

Somewhere outside the perimeter of the ruined city, a lone corvid had been anxiously watching how things unfolded despite her obvious fear. However, when a powerful shock-wave suddenly blew her away from her perching spot, she knew it was time to escape. It became even more clear as a massive pillar of crimson fire erupted from the battlefield, reaching the sky to take the form of a blazing katana tip. In the end, she still barely made it, being blown forcefully further away on her flight by a wind blast from the pillar's unstoppable explosion that decimated the whole area.

This legendary 'Single Blade Cremation' had not been deemed as a forbidden Kido in Soul Society for nothing.

Nothing was spared in its wake, surely not the camera broadcasting the event to the rest of Remnant, though everyone had seen pretty much everything.

Far away in Atlas, a proud woman who never let emotions get the better of her shed tears in silence, hoping beyond hope that the loss she suffered would be no more than the arm she had unconsciously hold onto in her sleep...

* * *

**I guess this is what they call as a cliffhanger?**

**Here another Returned-Grimm Espada is introduced****** after the Octava**, but this OC is not mine. ******The idea ** belongs to one of our awesome readers, Antex! The backstory is actually a lot more interesting, but sadly, it's not possible to mention everything in details here without showing some kind of favoritism among the Espada. We'll see more of them later including the top three. Now, if anyone else has some idea for the story, feel free to share them!**


	8. hope

**The ending of the previous chapter has given me a bit of problem going forward. There is just no plausible chance for Toushiro in his 'not much of a Shinigami' state to survive using Itto Kaso on his own. But we can't afford him to just die, can we? Winter won't allow it to happen. ******This story is also not that dark**. Thankfully, a solution came up for that, one that may lead to a more interesting turn of events.**

**08**

* * *

The forbidden Hado #96 Itto Kaso

It was without a doubt one of the most devastating Shinigami techniques. Some even feared it more than #97, #98, and even #99. The sacrificial nature aside, it was one of the few Kido that required proficiency in the arts much more than tremendous amount of Reiatsu, so even a weakened Shinigami could perform it if they didn't fear the cost. That didn't change the fact, however, that it possessed an unbelievable level of danger, one that perhaps might only be outclassed by the legendary Bankai, Zanka no Tachi.

No one should be able to survive the catastrophic blast without some readily available countermeasure, not even a Vasto Lorde Menos. Moreover, it was not simply over what with the destructive Reiatsu still lingered strongly in the area. The lingering red heat was more than palpable throughout the devastated battlefield that only earlier in the day was a large capital city in Remnant. Nothing was left of the city itself now with a massive crater that spanned for miles in its place. However, there in ground zero, somehow, someone managed to survive this time.

With seer spiritual power alone, the evolved Arrancar, Arturo Plateado, had successfully withstood the blast from point blank range. It was still impossible even for him to come out of it unscathed, however. In fact, the damage his body suffered, despite the blast not being concentrated on him due to its widespread nature, was even greater than when he was struck by three dragons of Hado #99 Goryutenmetsu at once. The only reason that by this point he still had it in him to slowly stand back up was none other than pure rage.

"Damn you, Shinigami!" With frantic gaze, he looked up suddenly. "You better be dead by now or -"

Not...

In all honesty, he had expected to see nothing left of his enemy after what was basically a suicide act. He could not hide his surprise then to see how wrong he had been. The unexpected sight that greeted him made him for once question the actual extent of this one Shinigami's capability.

Though, this time, it was actually the case of a loyal Zanpakuto protecting its Master despite the connection between them having been lost.

The moment Toushiro Hitsugaya performed the forbidden Kido, his Zanpakuto's spirit responded at once. The sword returned to him just in time to protect him from a final act that was meant to take down his opponent with him. And, here now, amidst the sea of heat in the devastated battlefield, stood a grand ice formation of cross-shaped flower, the shape of Hyorinmaru's own crest. Encased safely in the center was none other than the unconscious master himself with the sword standing right before him protectively.

Naturally, this also served to fuel the Arrancar's rage even more. His own bad condition went completely ignored as he quickly gathered all the power he had left to form one last Cero. There was nothing more he wanted at the moment than blasting off the one object that stood mockingly before him into smithereens. That was until an unknown sense of dread made him stop short all of a sudden.

Something was happening to his heavily wounded body...

As hard as it was to believe, it seemed that the Shinigami had even anticipated this outcome. In that last moment, he had secretly cast another spell alongside the spell of sacrifice. This one had a strict requirement for the target to be weakened first to activate, but once it happened, nothing could stop it. After all, it was the very same spell that Kisuke Urahara created specially to put down Sosuke Aizen.

Kyujurokkei Kakafumetsu

Toushiro Hitsugaya definitely owed it here to the genius for teaching him this one sealing spell that made his plan B a success. If he was conscious, perhaps he would've even considered sending some gratitude in return. It was such a shame then that even though his life had unexpectedly been saved, he would miss the chance to see first hand the moment this 'Ninety-Six Capitol Fire-Suspended Seal Destruction' finally activated.

Furious screams soon followed.

Reddish beams of light pierced the weakened Arrancar's body inside out. They sprouted out of his back to take the shape of crosses, forcing him to hunch over and break his glare. As it happened, something of the same nature of the beams grew forth from the ground to gradually envelop his body. Cursing his enemy to death, he struggled frantically with all he had left of his might to no avail. Everything came together with the beams merging into two larger, tougher ones until the spell reached completion, revealing a towering, white, star-shaped object that had him sealed within.

It was all finally over... at least for the time being.

The aftermath of those two otherworldly beings' second confrontation was marked with two powerful barriers of differing natures standing in their places.

―

The terrific sudden invasion on Vale had without a doubt costed many lives. It was at least fortunate that Beacon had made the right call in their headmaster's absence by focusing on evacuating the citizens instead of fighting back. There was simply no way they stood a chance, everyone could see that the moment the mysterious figure leading the invasion easily blew out the city center. However, even escaping had not been such a simple matter with hordes of Grimm on his command rampaging everywhere.

It all only ended when the shocking otherworldly blast wiped out everything on sight.

By that point, thankfully, all the survivors had gotten out of the city. They could only look on in stupor a safe distance away as their homes and the surrounding areas being swallowed by the blast. After watching the broadcast of the preceding battle, they understood enough that no matter how hard it was to swallow, there had been no other way. All their loss here was a necessary cost for their survival.

May their unexpected savior's sacrifice in this great tragedy not be in vain.

Following the Grimm's retreat with the unknown fate of their leader, the survivors had decided to build a refugee camp as they waited for help to arrive. It was a welcome respite, something necessary to do that could also serve as a distraction from their griefs, even for the already worn out Huntsmen and Beacon students. Though, once it was done, silence prevailed poignantly in the newly made camp as the sun went down.

For once, Weiss missed her team's usual craziness as they sat together silently around a small campfire. She would probably even take Yang's terrible jokes at this moment than this. It might at least irritate her enough to get her mind off all the worries she had been having about the uncertain fate of her basically brother in law. The fact that it was still way too dangerous out there for her to see for herself was frustrating. What would she say to her sister when -

Time's up.

There was no point thinking about it anymore.

As it appeared, help from Atlas finally arrived. Large military airships came into view, lighting up the evening sky before landing at a nearby clearing. The silence in the refugee camp was broken at once as everyone eagerly welcomed their arrival. It was only a matter of time here in the midst of the bustling crowds until the worried Schnee sisters found each other.

Identical shade of blue eyes met.

An emotional hug followed instantly.

Even now in her older sister's arms, Weiss still didn't know what to say. All she could do was cling tightly as her tears fell, and she hated it. She should've been the one supporting her sister who currently had to be hurting. But here, Winter, strong as always, readily put aside her own feelings for her crying sister's sake. The military officer made sure that said sister was okay before carefully pulling away to face her superior.

"General." There was only resolve in her gaze. "I would like to request a permission for a thorough inspection on the remains of Vale."

There was a short moment of hesitation, but the experienced general eventually gave a nod of approval.

"Very well. Bring a team of -"

"That would be suicide, James."

At the interruption, everyone turned to see a familiar face coming their way, and James Ironwood, knowing how it usually turned out when his loyal subordinate met this one old friend of his, was ready to intercede.

"And why is that, Qrow?"

"It's visible to the eye. The hellish blast has left the whole area covered by a strange heat that quickly burns out Aura." The Huntsman nonchalantly gestured at the silent officer then. "Even Ice Queen the first over there would melt before getting even anywhere close to the middle of it."

That was intentionally or not like an invitation to fight...

Surprisingly enough, however, the woman in question didn't take the bait this time. Not even responding to the taunt, she just quietly excused herself before turning around to walk away. Everyone, even her infuriating frenemy, had not expected this, and could only look away regretfully.

This would not do.

Weiss soon had enough of being helpless. Her older sister who had cared for her when even their own mother suddenly stopped caring needed help. She still didn't know what to say, but she had no right to call that strong woman sister if she turned away from her here. Therefore, just like what Winter did earlier, she tried to put aside her own feelings as she hurriedly went after her.

It was her turn to care for her beloved sister who to her relief, had not gone too far by herself.

Even there standing alone in the air overlooking Vale, the woman still looked as composed as ever. Her eyes showed nothing of what she was feeling as she gazed silently at the distance. It was like the horrifying sight of the devastated grounds glowing red in the dark with heat didn't affect her. It wouldn't even be such a surprise if her mind was currently working on a way to get there. Her younger sister knew that it wasn't really the case, though, as she carefully formed a glyph to get up there and join her.

For a moment, the girl fidgeted nervously, all the while kind of hoping to get reprimanded for it, but when nothing happened, she eventually had to break the silence herself.

"I saw it too, sister. The battle showed more than clear that Sir Toushiro perfectly knew what he was doing despite the odds. He's just that amazing." With the most reassuring smile she could muster, she looked at her older sister. "So I'm sure he'll be alright."

"I appreciate that, Weiss, but we should just return. Many lives have been lost today. Worrying about one specially more than the others is inappropriate."

Still showing none of her feelings, the woman moved to leave, but before she could even take a single step, her younger sister unexpectedly grabbed her by the arm. Their eyes met again then, and surprisingly, the girl's softer pair this time hardened with confidence. It was apparently one of those very rare moments where she behaved as though she was the older one of them.

"Would you please for once be more considerate to your own feelings?"

"..."

"I know you're hurting, Winter. What kind of sister would I be if I couldn't even see that after all this time?"

"..."

"I am no longer a child. It would be nice if you at least don't hold anything back with me anymore."

How heartfelt...

It took aback the actual older sister for sure until she eventually relented after a moment of silence.

"What do you want to hear, Weiss?"

"Anything!"

"Alright... Just the night before, I slept with Toushiro."

Err...

"W- What?" The teenager's face reddened instantly as she stumbled back in horror. "Don't get me wrong! I'm happy for you, sister. But I so don't need to -"

"My body still feels a bit sore all over, but it was absolutely worth it. I wouldn't have preferred it any other way. He was so mindful of my inexperience as we -"

"Goodness, Winter! Please spare your little sister the detail before it traumatizes her for life!"

Fair enough.

The still overly composed woman could seem to recall this sister of hers earlier saying she was not a child anymore, but there was no point arguing about it.

"Well, it was a truly memorable first time for me." A tender smile momentarily graced her face. "Sadly, I woke up alone the morning after. He only left me with a nice little breakfast alongside a small note."

"Oh, that sounds kind of sweet to me. What was the note about?"

"He apologized for those nice sandwiches for some reason, and planned to make it up to me at dinner."

It should've been right around this hour, but alas...

"How unfortunate..." The thought made Weiss look down sadly, but then the confidence return in her eyes as she looked up again. "Just wait a bit more, sister. He gave his words. You believe him, don't you?"

Absolutely.

And, as difficult as it was, Winter wished to believe her unexpectedly wise sister's words too. Her all too realistic mind strictly refused, but her heart told her differently. She looked back then at the far distance where the battle had supposedly taken place, hoping desperately that her heart was the right one. There was still nothing to see in the bleak view, but then suddenly, she caught something unexpected there for the first time.

A cold glimmer amidst the glowing red sea of heat.

... That was her hope.

―

Days after the devastating blast occurred, no one still dared to come anywhere close to the ground zero. Even for Atlesian Military Special Operatives Unit, the most they managed was cautiously observing the area high from the sky with airships. This operation was being coordinated by their new Commander in Chief herself. It had started soon after she personally spotted the existence of a mysterious object from far distance that by this point, still couldn't be identified with the heat distorting the view. So far, only two things were confirmed.

It reflected light.

There was another mysterious object standing not far from it.

The operation was planned to continue on until the heat considerably lessened enough for them to land safely for a closer inspection. That meant it would last realistically for quite some time, but it had been decided by the commander herself. The intimidating woman was absolutely invested in it that it had taken no less than a direct order from her esteemed superior for her to even take a short break. None of her own subordinates would ever dare to admit it, but almost everyone of them, as much as they respected her, couldn't help feeling relieved each time those rare opportunities came like this moment.

Even experienced special operatives needed to breath easily once in a while.

Unfortunately, the moment was cut short at the sudden appearance of an enormous Nevermore. The Grimm itself would technically not prove to be any problem to their airship's formidable arsenal. What immediately rose a great alarm, however, was the one riding on its back, a fearsome humanoid Grimm that appeared to be of the same kind as the one already seen before in the battle previously taking place here. In panic response, they opened fire immediately, giving all they had in hope of catching the enemy off guard, only to be shot down almost instantly like a mere fly.

Not even giving the explosion caused by his Cero a glance, the brawny Retuned-Grimm in white attire jumped off his mount. The wind barely rustled his short, white mohawk in his fall before he landed with a bang. The impact didn't seem to affect him at all as he carelessly cracked his thick neck that was revealed to have a red number 6 imprinted on its back. It was no wonder then that he was strong enough to withstand the surrounding heat like it was nothing.

This was none other than the Sexta Espada Returned-Grimm.

What first caught his attention as he looked around were naturally the two strange objects towering not far from one another. He scowled at this, feeling quite sure that he was not here for any of those things. Still, he decided to take a closer look, but then stopped himself when a slight movement suddenly caught his attention. It was rather hard to see from a distance, so he quickly dispersed the lingering red Reiatsu heat blocking the view with his own burst of Reiatsu before using Sonido to get to where the movement was.

A near unrecognizable mass of black and white that he too wouldn't have recognized if not for the feeble but quite familiar Reiatsu it emitted.

"Heh." He looked down mockingly. "Who would've thought it doesn't take much to see you end up like a garbage, Quattro?"

"Quiet... Sexta!"

It was still not a simple matter, but now that the lingering Reiatsu was no longer so potent, the near dead Espada was able to move easily enough to speak. His regenerative ability started to work then in the more bearable condition, and before long, he recovered enough to at least stand. The fact that he owed it all to his fellow Espada would be left unsaid, though. It was only expected since the one in question clearly took great amusement in the whole situation.

"You look weak as shit."

"That's because I'm literally weak now, you moron. If not for our kind's superior regenerative ability, it's doubtful I would even be able to regain my power after the insolent Shingami landed that strange technique on me."

"Shinigami, you say?" A menacing grin appeared. "It's been so long since I saw one. Where is he now?"

"If you're not so thickheaded, you would've noticed his presence already from within that ice structure over there."

The one from earlier...

The instinctive reaction the Sexta Espada displayed then perhaps could only described as insanely feral. In a blink of an eye, he appeared with a Sonido in front of the object he saw earlier before delivering an earth-shattering punch to it. A shock-wave blew upon impact, but surprisingly, nothing happened at all to the towering ice formation. Instead, it was his own fist that took damaged, having the hard white shell covering it cracked slightly. He would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised by it as he then stepped back and took a better look with a now serious expression.

"What the hell is this? What the hell actually happened, Quattro?!"

"I have to admit I know nothing much myself after my defeat... But it seems that the Shinigami had more tricks up his sleeve other than blowing up everything as a last resort when our lord was about to end him."

"The lord..." The seriousness faltered as he blink slowly. "Damn, I almost forgot that I was sent here to check on him."

"Who sent you?"

"Octava."

There was danger in the air then as the wounded Espada stepped closer with gritted teeth.

"Are you telling me that you listen to Octava now?"

"Why not?" A careless shrug was given. "She's hot."

"Of course a moron like you cannot see that she, number eight, is lower-ranked than you, number six, but you should at the very least realize already that the female is loyal only to her mistress whom our lord barely even trusts."

"Really?" Now it was a skeptical frown. "Sounds like a bullshit. And the lord, it looks more like he has a thing for the mistress to me."

The sheer absurdity...

"You really are a moron."

"At least not look like a garbage. But enough of this. Where is Lord Progenitor?"

"Use your brain, moron."

If only it was not strictly forbidden for Espada to have infighting, the two would have tried to kill each other from the start. Though, this time, the Sexta didn't give it much thought since the Quattro was obviously in no condition to put up a fight. Thus he begrudgingly figured out their lord's whereabouts himself only to feel like a real moron soon later as he sensed a familiar presence from within the other strange object.

"Damn..." His eyes widened in disbelief. "You've gotta be kidding me."

For him who had already known Arturo Plateado's reputation since his time as a wild Adjuchas long ago, what he found here took him by shock. He had lived in Hueco Mundo prior to Aizen's era, so to him, there was no stronger being in existence than this legendary Arrancar who had freed him from the Grimm curse. It was almost impossible for him then to accept that there was someone who could put his now lord into such a state.

The other Espada basically thought the same, but he was not about to waste time gawking.

"It's time return to the castle, Sexta. Order your pet to carry our lord."

"Fine."

With a sharp whistle, his Nevermore mount came down from the sky. It seemed to understand the order already, readily taking hold of the seal containing their lord without needed to be told. The two Espada jumped up to its back then before finally setting off in the return journey to Land of Darkness.

―

How complicated could this whole situation get?

Winter, doing her new job as a commander, had left her overdue lunch hurriedly to rush out with a new airship after losing contact with the one in station. Her fear was practically confirmed then once thick smoke was spotted coming up from below the location the other airship was supposed to be. The wreckage could barely be seen within the still palpable heat, so nothing unfortunately could be done about it for the time being. The crew had to have been all gone already, thus their commanding officer, with a heavy heart, could only spare a moment to give them one last salute.

This incident more than likely had something to do with that enormous Nevermore flying away in the distance. In any normal circumstances, she would've given out an order to hunt it down immediately. This time, she held back as best as she could, however, because she saw it. The creature looked to be carrying one of the mysterious objects with its large claws, and riding on its back, the silhouettes of two humanoid figures could be seen. The Auras of danger they gave off strongly even from this far made it feel somewhat fortunate not to be spotted and shot down as well.

Minutes later, once it appeared to be safe enough to move again, she turned her attention down toward the ground zero to make sure the other object, the glimmering one was still there. To her relief, it was. In fact, the area surrounding it appeared to have somehow been considerably depleted of the heat that the visibility increased significantly. However, she was still unsure if it had become safe enough to come close, even for her elite subordinates.

For her, a Quincy, it should be another story.

Leaving behind an order to stand by, she left the airship to head off to the location. Heat washed over her body as she carefully moved down through the air, but the intensity had seemed to truly lessen since it didn't affect her all that much anymore. It gave her a confidence that soon carried her to the source of her fragile hope in the last few days.

The thing was absolutely beautiful up close...

It seemed to be made of pure ice, but somehow, had managed to withstand the blast and the leftover heat all around the area. Her time admiring it was cut short, however, as her gaze eventually went through the brilliant surface. It was no wonder the comforting coldness had felt so familiar to her the moment she came near it, because there, encased fully within it, was the only one she identified such a presence with.

Her heart felt like it was about to burst with emotions.

She couldn't even begin to imagine what actually happened, but the longing to reach for him was almost unbearable. It was an unrealistic wish, she knew that much. For the time being, knowing that she had not lost him was what mattered the most.

Here, the proud woman seemed to settle for standing by steadfastly, and she she did so still with none of her emotions on display. Her posture was still that of a professional military officer that she was even when a curious corvid suspiciously landed next to her. She made no response even as it then turned into a woman without warning. This was not that much of an unusual sight to her after all, much less of a surprise than the fact that this woman could bear the still worrisome heat quite well.

Feeling ignored, the newcomer decided to mess around a bit.

"Hmm. I know who you are." Red eyes looked the younger woman up and down playfully. "That's right! You're Ol' Qrow's little frenemy."

"Are you by any chance related to that old buffoon?"

"The name's Raven. We're twins."

"My condolences."

Savage.

Interestingly enough, however, the older woman burst out laughing in response until calming down enough to continue messing around.

"Girl!" She gestured at the towering ice formation with a smirk. "No wonder that Toushi's smitten with you so. You're pretty much like his female version."

"I see. So you're the shady woman Toushiro had been in contact with lately."

That sounded like some personal accusation...

"Hold on. There seems to be a misunderstanding here. I might be shady, but in no way am I a homewrecker. We're just buddies, I assure you."

"..."

"Well, at least, that's what I like to think." Here she turned somewhat serious. "I admit I wanted him for myself at first, him and his power, but he just brushed me off like you do here. Then I sided with him only because it seemed like my best bet to survive. Even then, I still doubted he could do much against such an unstoppable threat."

"..."

"But, as we all have already seen, he proved me wrong."

Very wrong.

It might not have been pretty, but Remnant's fate would have been sealed had Toushiro Hitsugaya had not been here. The sole reason they all could still live on despite the uncertain future ahead of them was his lone action that had in all honesty costed him the most. Here, Winter could accept that even though as his partner, she couldn't help but wish things could've gone differently.

"If only he has not lost most of his power..."

"Hm, yeah, I've heard about that. We really can't deny that he has done the impossible here." What seemed like an agreement was followed by a mischievous smirk then. "Still, I got the feeling that he could've done better if only he hadn't wasted his strength by having that much sex beforehand."

"..."

"Not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, if the worst happened, it might be most important that you actually end up being pregnant with his child, so there would be someone of his powerful legacy as our last hope."

"..."

Still no response except for the faint blush that had begun to color the cold yet lovely face at the ludicrous theory.

This was so much fun to Raven, almost as fun as teasing this woman's lover himself, that it might be hard to stop anytime soon. She knew it was really not the time or place to mess around this much. In her defense, though, it might not have been that bad of an idea if doing so could help lighting up the mood.

"So for the sake of Remnant..." Her mischievous smirk only widened. "Are you feeling pregnant now?"

"..."

"I personally think so."

"What a nonsense." The blushing woman couldn't stand it anymore. "What do you even know about being pregnant?"

"Well, it might not have been obvious, but I've experienced it before. One of your little sister's teammates is a daughter of mine after all."

The one in yellow...

Okay.

Now, Winter didn't have anything to come back with, but only because of a lack of trying. Her mind at the moment, for a reason she couldn't comprehend, was getting filled with the ludicrous possibility of her unwomanly self being pregnant. However, if she dared to be honest, it was actually more than possible, considering the clear lack of protection being used back then...

The blush deepened.

Feeling no mercy, the smirking woman had no intention to stop now. That was until an unfamiliar noise suddenly came from her pocket. Without giving it much thought, she took out the noisy thing to check what it was about. This made the younger woman quickly frown in suspicion because she could recognize the device even at first glance.

"That is Toushiro's old Scroll." Blue eyes narrowed accusingly. "How come you have it with you?"

"It's quite a curious little thing, so I borrowed it when I came to visit."

"Without permission."

Obviously.

"Does it matter now? Aren't you curious about the ringing call?"

"I thought it doesn't even work here in Remnant, but, fine. Who is it from?"

"Mm, someone known as 'insufferable shopkeeper'?"

Sounded vaguely familiar.

Winter was sure that she had come across that one back when she browsed through the Scroll as she waited for the owner to wake up in the hospital. It felt like a lifetime ago somehow, but she could remember clearly, not that it helped much. Her partner's tendency to address his contacts with stupid names made it unnecessarily difficult for others to understand, not to mention exasperating. She had not brought up this matter, but she actually knew that he even secretly addressed her as 'scary snow' in his current Scroll.

The nerves.

She'd show him what scary was, but it was not the time for that since he was obviously in no condition to listen to her, so she returned to the matter at hand.

"Just answer it."

"You sure?"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

Sure thing.

With a shrug, Raven did just as asked, but right as she was about to say something, the suspicious caller beat her to it.

"_Hello? Hitsugaya-san? You must be wondering how I manage to make this call. The answer is stupidly obvious. I've ended up in this Remnant world too!_"

"..."

"_For the record, I've done what you asked in your last message, so you owe me Hikifune-san's new number now! The accident only happened when I got too tired from trying to figure out those pools-like portals. I fell asleep. Yes, the genius Kisuke Urahara fell asleep during work, stupidly falling into a suspicious pool that led to an unknown world as he did._"

"..."

"_Uh... Hitsugaya-san? Isn't this where you're supposed to laugh at this humble shopkeeper's misfortune?_"

If it was a laugh he wanted, she was more than willing to give him one. Though he surely had not expected to hear a feminine laughter. She could almost picture his puzzlement here and decided to mess with him too for a bit.

"Sorry, Urahara. You must be wondering why I sound like a woman. That's because I somehow turned into one a few days after I got here."

"_Really?!_"

"Yes." Another laughter almost escaped her mouth again. "So don't be surprised if the same happens to you too sooner or later."

"_Fascinating! I can't wait for that to happen._"

"..."

She had to wonder now if he was simply an idiot instead of the genius he claimed to be. What she didn't know was her little game had actually backfired. The guy she tried to mess with was without a doubt a genius for being able to easily outplay her in her own game. He further proved it with a knowing chuckle.

"_That was amusing. May I ask who it is I'm speaking with?_"

"It's Raven..." She blinked in disbelief. "Hold on a sec. How do you know I was trying to mess with you?"

"_Well, for one, if Hitsugaya-san had really turned into a woman, he would've sounded like a young famous idol for sure instead of a middle-aged housewife._"

Ouch.

"Are you saying I sound like a middle-aged housewife, you creep?!"

This was unacceptable.

To make it worse, she could've sworn she even heard a faint snort coming from the supposedly emotionless woman standing next to her. Never had she felt this insulted. It could only be a good thing then when the one responsible for it seemed to realized his mistake before it went out of hand.

"_Oh, please don't get me wrong___, Raven-san!_ I meant no offense. In actuality, I'm very much into middle-aged housewives myself._"

"..."

"_I'll take you out for dinner once we meet in person if you don't believe me._"

Eww, way too smooth.

"No, thanks."

"_Welp, another rejection, but no matter. May I speak with Hitsugaya-san now?_"

"I don't think so." Somberly she glanced at the object holding the one in question. "... He's currently in no condition to speak."

"_I see... That is very unfortunate._"

Surprisingly enough, this Urahara guy already seemed to get some idea about the situation just from reading her answer. It actually impressed her enough that she began to wonder what he was actually like in person. And this one curiosity unfortunately left her wanting to see him for herself.

"Where are you now?" Hopefully her interest didn't show that much. "Maybe I can take you to where he is later if I feel like it."

"_That would be much appreciated. I haven't learned the name of this town I've ended up in, though, so can I call you again later once I've asked around for a bit?_"

"Fine by me."

"_Wonderful! And, oh, Raven-san, there's a nice restaurant nearby here. Maybe we can -_"

End call.

Who would've thought talking with one truly 'insufferable shopkeeper' could be so exhausting?

Surely not Raven who had to pretend she wasn't affected much by it as she then turned toward her unlikely companion who had been listening in silence.

"So, what do you think?"

"This 'shopkeeper' seems to be a good acquaintance of Toushiro." Blues eyes traveled to the clear silhouette within the ice formation forlornly. "As dubious as he sounds, the chance is high that he might be the only one who can help us with this predicament."

"Alright then. I'll bring the creep here. I owe it to that oh so responsible man of yours. Though... Are you sure he's still alive there?"

"Absolutely."

"That's just what I like to hear." The smirk suddenly returned. "Still, as some form of assurance for Remnant's fate, make sure you take a pregnancy test, girl."

Seriously...

As she tiredly watched the smirking woman turning back with a chuckle into a corvid and flying away, Winter had to wonder why everyone seemed hoping for her to be pregnant lately. It was simply ludicrous in her opinion since she was really not a mother material despite having helped raising her younger siblings before. Still, this made her unconsciously wonder as well, considering Toushiro's insightful thinking, if he might have actually intended for it to happen too after foreseeing this kind of outcome, thus supporting the ludicrous theory...

Could natural polar opposites like them even reproduce together?

Goodness, enough of this.

Her anti Shinigami Quincy blood would have probably prevented it at all cost, so it was best to just leave it at that.

The heat was beginning to bear down strongly again, meaning that she should also leave soon. She and that Raven woman wouldn't have been able to last that long here without being near the towering ice formation encasing her partner. Before taking her leave, however, she decided to get closer, hoping to see him more clearly. After jumping up to stand face to face with him, the sight of his battered form sure became clearer to her, showing that he was indeed missing an arm. It pained her deeply to see him like this, but she was determined to be strong for him.

"I won't lose you." Ever so carefully, she leaned even closer to faintly touch her forehead against the cold surface. "... My heavenly guardian."

* * *

**No active role for ****** Toushiro here**. This would last for****** at least** another chapter. On the bright side, the one and only Kisuke Urahara is finally coming to the picture after having been ******slightly **hinted**** at the start. He would be quite OP, though, without some nerf. Should he get one too, I wonder.  
**


	9. tension

**I wish I could bring more Bleach characters into the story, but that would inevitably lead to them solving the problem here. That is out of the question. Finding the right balance is important in crossovers. Urahara is one exception since he would be responsible for some 'level ups' that RWBY characters are planned to get here eventually so**** they might stand a chance on their own******** as teams****.**

**09**

* * *

Sudden blinding streams of light came from a girl's silver eyes.

Almost like wings...

Time seemed to stop before the girl collapsed weakly.

"Ruby!"

The other teenagers in the fighting scene cried out at once, but by this point, only the girl in white could still stand and move quick enough to catch her.

How did it end up like this?

It was supposed to be a normal patrol outside the camp's perimeter. Everything had been going well for team RWBY that had their turn this late afternoon. Only small numbers of Grimm crossed their path, and none posed to be a real threat. That was until they came across this female humanoid Grimm who beat them all effortlessly like it was a child play. The same pretty much happened to team JNPR that came to help by chance. Only Phyrra's new Fall Maiden power seemed to entertain the enemy for a bit. Still, they stood no chance at all, and in the end, it led to what happened to Ruby.

Hopefully it did something at the very least...

Tough luck.

All it did was making the mysterious female pause for a moment as her long, white ponytail swayed with the wind, before she shrugged lightly.

"After a Maiden, now Silver Eyes. What a rare sight these days. It's a pity that they apparently prove to have almost no effect on us, the Returned Ones."

Ouch.

In this case, it was absolutely not worth the cost of the user falling unconscious then.

Still holding her unconscious partner securely, Weiss inwardly wished this girl, being the fastest among them, had gone to find help instead of bothering with the strange power. But there was no use giving it any more thought. Their priority here should be to focus on getting help. Unfortunately, their current location was quite a distance away from the camp, and communication had not been easy lately with the infrastructures having been destroyed with the city.

This was really bad.

They had been lucky thus far that the enemy did not take them seriously. This one strangely looked almost friendly compared to the other humanoid Grimm that took part in the invasion a few days ago, not that it meant much. Their kind was very dangerous without a doubt, and it would probably be a matter of time until she grew bored and decided to show her true nature too.

Dammit.

Weiss was honestly tempted not to just curse inwardly. In this situation, she couldn't bring herself to care about her reputation among her peers. It should be okay really since her strict older sister who would most certainly chew her out for even thinking of such a thing was currently nowhere in sight.

A white-blue Manticore stopped the word from escaping at the last second.

The summoned creature unintentionally saved the surprised girl from being chewed out for real as it crashed down onto the seemingly unfazed enemy. Alas, it failed to deal even a scratch before being torn apart with just a light swipe of said enemy's slim hand. This didn't stop her from beaming up quickly, however, at the sight of the one the Summon belonged to soon landing in front of her protectively.

"Winter!"

"Stand back, Weiss." Still with her back facing her sister, the military officer looked around carefully. "The same goes to everyone else."

At once, everyone did as told without question, seeing that none of them was in any condition to fight anymore. The enemy fortunately made no move to stop them for some reason. She looked to be interested in this development instead, and when a sword manifested from light particles in her attacker's hand, a look of recognition appeared on her captivating black face.

"A Quincy... I seem to remember seeing the firsts of your race a very long time ago, back when they were still learning to fight Hollow desperately with bows."

"I'm sorry to say that bows are not my specialty."

"Ah, it's fine. Seeing a Quincy here in supposedly Hollow's Promised Land of all places is a nice surprise already." Eerie red eyes glinted excitedly. "I'd be lying if I say I'm not interested to test your power since I've never really had the chance to fight any one of your ancestors when I was still a Hollow."

Challenge accepted.

It wasn't like there was any other choice. Besides, personally, the Quincy in question here felt obligated to fight for her ancestral race's honor. She was just that proud despite knowing that the opponent was unmistakably one of those newly revealed, powerful humanoid Grimm. Her face showed it clearly as she took a stance with her mind making a prior decision.

Blut Venne or Arterie?

This was important because she needed to rely on her blood to stand a chance. Unfortunately, since she was not a pure-blood, trusting it to act accordingly was still out of the question. It should work naturally for pure-bloods, switching as needed, but for her, she had to decide it herself or else it might overwhelm her and put her at greater risk instead. The risk itself could be kept at minimum by Blut Venne's defensive nature, so she decided on it with a plan to switch to Blut Arterie only once a good opening was made.

Following her decision, bluish patterns could be seen on most of her exposed skin. This would assure her a protection the moment her Aura inevitably became no longer sufficient. And the chance to put it to test couldn't come any sooner with the opponent suddenly appearing before her to deliver a spinning kick. The sheer force broke apart her Aura in just one blow, but thanks to her Blut, she could still endure it and even recover quickly enough to retaliate.

Spinning briefly on her heels, Winter used the momentum to make a quick slash. Unfortunately, her hand got caught in a tight grip before her sword could land on an exposed neck. This soon costed herself being suddenly hurled away to land hard on the ground.

Quickly, she stood back up, and just in time to parry balls of dark energy called Bala being fired her way. It was by no means an easy feat, definitely impossible to do with her old sword. Her spirit weapon, however, proved to be more than strong enough. By holding it up with both hands, she even managed to block the downward kick that consecutively crashed down on her without warning. The blade could withstand the powerful impact that forced her to her knees and even cracked the ground under her with no problem.

It was way too soon to breath easy, however.

Her insight to move away immediately with a glyph that she quickly formed underneath her kneeling form might as well save her life then. It was just in time to avoid another Bala being fired from almost point blank range at her head. Blut Venne's protection was invaluable, but considering her inexperienced with it, there was no guarantee it would allow her to survive such an attack.

Being reckless only meant death.

She had apparently made the right decision so far. It was good to see for sure that she could rely on her still novice Quincy power even against such a powerful opponent. That meant it was relatively okay now to go all out without the need of second guessing.

Let's see.

With a newfound confidence, Winter went on the offense right away, utilizing Zanjutsu smartly to direct the flow of combat even at the cost of suffering some blows. Her opponent seemed to be interested at seeing her enduring surprisingly well, and became more engaged in their exchange of attacks. As it went on with her being able to barely land some scratches, however, she soon concluded that more attack power was direly needed.

This had to be done carefully.

Making sure to keep the opponent's attention on the close combat, she subtly started the preparation. One by one, four glyph appeared around them on the ground, and once it was all set, she flash-stepped backward without warning. More Bala seemed about to be fired at her retreating form in response, but all of a sudden, a summoned Beowolf came from each one of the glyph to attack. The four of them managed to catch the unsuspecting target off guard despite actually not being that much of a threat here.

Even just for a moment, the distraction created the needed opening.

At once, the patterns on the Quincy's skin were replaced by a faint glow, showing her switch to full offense. The risk of forgoing defense here was still high, but this might as well be her only chance. Her mind was made up that by the time the last of her summon was down, she was already rushing back to use the most advanced Zanjutsu technique she knew.

Senmaioroshi

The moment she appeared facing away behind her opponent, it was already done. Only the sword still drawn horizontally to her side knew that it had just been used to make a series of extremely fast cuts. And with the attack power provided by Blut Arterie, the target should be shredded into pieces like any lesser opponents regardless Aura. Surprisingly, however, she slowly turned around only to find that it wasn't the case.

"Impossible..."

As it turned out, the only thing being shredded was said target's white attire. It fell apart to reveal only light cuts all over her body that quickly healed. Showing no concern in the slightest, she too turned around then.

"What a move." Her appreciative nod looked genuine. "It might be enough to eliminate even a Numeros. Unfortunately, as it seems, the Hierro of an Espada like me is still way too strong for your current level of power."

"... I'll make sure to try better next time."

"No. Not anytime soon at least. As engaging as it is to fight you, young Quincy, I am actually not here to fight."

That sure was a surprise.

"Then why did you attack my little sister and her friends?"

"Please don't make me seem like a bully. They started first, so I decided to entertain them for a bit."

"..."

With nothing to say back, Winter gave a reprimanding look to her sister who by now, along with the other teens, looked sheepishly embarrassed. It was quite an amusing sight. Even the revealed Espada thought so before deciding to explain herself more.

"As hard as it is to believe, I mean no harm. If I do, I would've fired Cero left and right or something, don't you think?"

"..."

"I in actuality just need to see the one called Ozpin on behalf of my mistress."

Naked...

Oh, well, her being a kind of Grimm made it seem like she was still wearing some sort of skinsuit, so it wouldn't matter much, would it?

―

The recent news of Vale's sudden destruction had created a worldwide impact, but some places, secluded ones in particular, remained relatively unaffected. Life went on as usual like what happened in the island to the west of the destroyed capital. It was still peaceful there in Patch with only one exception apparently taking place at a particular lone cabin in the forest.

Just outside the house, a shouting match had been going on for a while now between a long separated couple until the woman had enough of it and turned her glare toward their one irritating audience.

"What are you looking at, you creep?!"

"Oh, don't mind me, Raven-san! Please continue. This is much better than the cheap tv series I've been following lately. The tension feels just real." He winked at her playfully. "Really, bickering old couples are best couples!"

Unbelievable!

Honestly, Raven had expected nothing from this so called shopkeeper, but she was still so disappointed once they finally met in person. He was practically like day and night compared to his old acquaintance whom she had been closely involved with lately. His look was truly underwhelming without the slightest hint of appeal in her opinion. To make it worse, he turned out to be just as insufferable as he sounded over the Scroll.

She already had a bad feeling earlier when he called again to inform her that his location was in Patch of all places. He even mentioned his encounter with a nice guy who kindly invited him over after hearing his sad but probably bullshit story. This made her suspicious for some reason, but in the end, she still headed to the island with her Kindred Link to her foolish old partner. Imagine her surprise then to find said man in the middle of a drink with a lousy-looking guest who as it turned out, just happened to be none other than the one she was after.

What a horrible joke.

No one could blame her for snapping at once, well, except for her old partner who had been surprised at her sudden appearance. They both inevitably started to argue then. And it had only gotten more heated because he seemed to favor the happily watching guest by the looks of it.

Even here, presently, the scowl on Taiyang Xiao Long's face quickly disappeared as he too turned toward said guest sheepishly.

"Sorry, my friend. Seeing a stupid bickering must be the last thing you need at the moment."

"No worries, Tai-san. If all I've seen on the tv count, we can say that I've gotten more than used to seeing such a thing."

"You're quite experienced then..." An awkward chuckle ensued. "Technically at least?"

"Technically. Perhaps I can even give you two some relationship advice here if you want."

"R- Really?"

The clear awkwardness should've been a death giveaway that it might be best to talk about something else, anything but this. Sadly, Kisuke Urahara was the kind of creep who would deliberately ignore it for his own amusement. And by the look of the sick grin he was trying to hide behind his fan, instead, he seemed to have even taken it as an invitation to continue.

"Tai-san, I can see already that you're an honest man, one who keeps on trying to make things right, but it would do you good to learn to let go. Some things are just not meant to be. Raven-san seems to have no problem in that matter, though she needs to understand that to let go also means to make peace."

That wasn't near as painful as expected to listen surprisingly, not at all, and quite the opposite in fact.

"I'll keep that in mind." The listener blinked in surprise. "Thank you, Kisuke..."

"My pleasure, Tai-san."

How sickening.

Having been watching in silent, Raven almost threw up by the end, but she settled with just rolling her eyes mockingly.

"Oh, just kiss already and be done with it so I can start to make some use of the creep!"

"No need to be jealous, Raven-san." The creep's eyebrows wiggled suggestively under his stripped hat. "Here I am actually hoping for you two to remember your long lost feelings for each other and rekindle the old passion."

"Funny. I can't seem to remember ever having any feelings for the blondhead loser."

Ouch.

Another bickering seemed imminent thanks to the thoughtless remark, but before it could really start, someone was kind enough to intervene this time.

"Excuse me, Raven-san?!" He pretended to look offended. "As a blond, I feel attacked."

"You should! You have the look of a total loser. I bet you're the kind of guy who's secretly pinning after a hot childhood friend for so long only to find out later that she's in actuality gay."

Ouch!

Maybe it was because that was somehow quite spot on, but the poor guy suddenly reeled back as if he had been shot in the chest with a round of Dust bullets. The other guy, having no clue about it, looked clearly worried as he moved quickly to support his new friend who had fallen pitifully quiet. There was only one to blame for it, and he gave her an accusing look without hesitation.

"That was low even for you, Raven!"

"Shut it! Just leave him be so I can drag him away already. As ridiculous as it sounds, that drama creep is actually needed elsewhere."

"What are you -"

A hand rose weakly to interrupt the brewing argument.

"It's okay, Tai-san..."

"Kisuke..."

"Thank you for your hospitality. We had a good time drinking together... But now that I have no more will to live, we might as well surrender my fate to this feisty oba-san."

This guy was just asking for it...

Not wanting to give him any more satisfaction, the supposed 'oba-san' growled angrily before grabbing him by the collar to finally drag him away for real.

―

The impact of the recent incident had also reached Land of Darkness. All the Grimm that had taken part in the invasion on Vale had come to gather there after it ended uncertainly. They no longer appeared so mindless anymore somehow now that they were under a worthy leadership. However, with the uncertain fate of their new lord, here they could only linger around, waiting for further command that just wouldn't come anytime soon. After all, it had not even been a day since the Espada returned with a large object that held the lord sealed within.

Presently, tension filled a large hall inside Evernight Castle where one particularly intense arguing was taking place. The mistress of the castle seemed close to have a meltdown as she desperately tried to make the two Espada not loyal to her understand that there was nothing she could do about their lord's situation. The towering seal containing him stood tall before them, clear to see, but she just couldn't make sense of it despite her vast knowledge. It was to her great relief then to see the only Espada loyal to her who was also her only friend show up at last.

The tall female calmly walked in before stopping next to her mistress in a protective manner. This protectiveness didn't escape the males' notice, though only the one with higher rank reacted negatively. She ignored the look of suspicion he sent her way, however, and just acted normally as she looked around.

"What's going on here?"

"Good to see you finally join us, Octava." The Sexta grinned at her. "The mistress looked about to piss herself 'cause she has no idea how to release our lord from that thing standing tall over there."

It was then that she finally paid a closer attention to the thing he pointed at.

"A seal..."

"Yeah. A tough one. I don't really get it myself. Ask Quattro if you want to know more."

Not that she'd get any answer.

The menacingly aloof Quattro Espada always considered her as nothing but a nuisance, and he showed it here by saying nothing to her, turning his attention back to her mistress instead.

"Again, keep in mind, Salem. This is your chance to prove yourself to our lord, so it is in your best interest to offer your utmost assistance in this."

He had a point.

As much as she hated it, Salem knew that she really needed to come up with something. Thankfully, now with her friend's presence, she had an easier time to think. It wasn't long then that she remembered something she had somehow missed earlier in her desperation.

"The Relic of Knowledge... It should give us an answer on how to release the seal."

"Tell us where it is."

"It is being kept in Haven's secret vault that can only be opened by the Spring Maiden."

That sounded unnecessarily complicated, especially to the reckless Sexta.

"Why don't we just blast it open with a simple Cero?"

"And get the Relic destroyed with the vault?" She narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "The Maiden is the only key."

"Fine! Where is she then?"

"That, I unfortunately do not know... The current Spring Maiden somehow has managed to keep herself unknown to even myself."

Regretfully, her unsatisfactory answer made the tension return to the hall. She was still seriously expected to offer more here, but it was just beyond her help no matter how desperate she was. Fortunately, her loyal friend was more than ready to step in for her in this situation.

"Be patient. The lord will be released. That is inevitable." The female looked at her fellow Espada pointedly. "Our ranks are still far from complete, but we are already the greatest force Remnant has ever seen, even greater than the old gods in battlefield. His temporary absence would not change that, would it?"

Simply, no one could argue with that.

With things seemed to be settled, at least for the time being, both females left the hall together in silence. They made sure to keep their words at minimum as to not unnecessarily raise more suspicion. It was only when they had gotten far enough away not to be heard through the hallways that Salem sighed in relief and finally looked at her friend.

"I cannot be more glad that you managed to return just in time, Lena." The tenseness on her face lessened, though the seriousness remained. "How did it go? What is Ozpin's answer?"

"Sadly, even after having all his questions answered, he still politely refused your offer to cooperate together in secret."

"I should've known."

Her frustration was understandable, considering how she had gone desperate enough to resort to seek an alliance with her supposedly sworn enemy. Walking side by side, her loyal friend could see that clearly. However, the imposingly calm female honestly thought that it wasn't really necessary.

"You shouldn't let it affect you much, mistress. Your position here is actually not near as bad as you might think."

"... What could you possibly mean?"

"You might've missed it in your constant worries, but unlike my foolish fellow Espada, most of the Numeros here still hold you in relatively high regard."

"Really?"

Sure enough, as she looked around her, the mistress noticed that each of the lesser Returned-Grimm they passed by gave her a respectful gesture. It was truly a surprise to her, and a pleasant one for sure. The Espada walking next to her couldn't help but smile softly at this.

"Yes. And not just them. The evidences suggest that the evil lord himself actually had even started to respect your wishes."

"Lena, you must be kidding..."

"Look, my mistress. He still let you run the castle, tolerating your presence, even though he practically has no reason to. He had even actually listened to your objection to his planned genocide by giving the mortals a choice. Think about it."

True...

As unbelievable as it seemed, Salem surprisingly couldn't find anything to deny it. Not even once had she expected this kind of turn in the uncertain course of her current fate. She simply didn't know how to feel about it. Though, for the first time, the prospect of actually joining with the evil incarnate Arturo didn't seem so terrible anymore to her.

―

A rather unmanly yelp came from behind a bush near Vale refugee camp as a suspicious figure stumbled awkwardly out of a strange portal. The figure, actually a man, as it seemed in the darkness, had been shoved roughly from the other end by a woman who followed immediately after him. It looked unnecessarily mean perhaps, though in her defense, she did it because he had started to irritate her with all his questions about the portal instead of just getting into it as told. He also didn't seem to mind as he quickly got up with another curious question at the ready.

"Raven-san, you said this Kindred Link of yours works only with the ones you have already 'bonded' with. So..." Watching the portal disappeared with interest, he chanced a sly glance at her. "Who is it this time? Could it be an affair buddy who made you leave Tai-san in the first place?!"

"Fuck you! It's my daughter."

"Oho! I've heard about her from her dad. Yang-chan, right?" His fan rose up quickly to cover his sick grin as usual. "Would you please introduce the lovely young lady to this humble gentleman, Raven-san?"

"Hell No, you old creep!"

She might be the worst mother in Remnant, but even she would not let this one creep come anywhere close to her daughter. Just thinking about that made her sick to her stomach. Honestly, if not for the importance of it, she herself wanted nothing more than to get as far away from him as possible. The worst thing to happen here at the moment was to be found together with him in her opinion, so they'd better get going to get it done quickly.

Too late.

"Who's there?!"

The voice sounded awfully familiar, and sure enough, it was none other than dear daughter herself who had conveniently found them. Somehow, without any warning, something worse than the initially thought worst had happened. Cursing her luck, the irritated mother took a deep breath before slowly showing herself with a tense smirk.

"Hello, Yang."

"You..." Lilac eyes widened in surprise and slowly recognition. "Finally. You show your face after all this time... I don't know why I feel disappointed."

"Yeah. Sorry. I can't call it a heartwarming reunion myself."

Underwhelming was more like it.

The nonchalant response couldn't help but turn the little bit of joy Yang felt here into anger as she remembered all the years of neglect.

"You're clearly not here to see me, so what the hell are you doing here now of all places, huh?"

"Hey! I can ask you pretty much the same thing, girl." Red eyes narrowed as the irritation returned. "Little girls should've just gone home to poor daddy."

That did it.

The tension reached a boiling point.

Soft lilac turned into burning red as the girl finally lost her temper. Without a second thought, she rushed down with a fist drawn aggressively. The following punch was readily met with the flat side of a blade, however, making her grit her teeth. The carelessness she showed here, in the next moment, resulted in her mother sending her away with a sudden kick to the stomach.

Burn!

Her already bright golden hair glowed with flame as she got up to resume fighting. As it went, she became more and more aggressive in her attacks, showing no care about anything else. This recklessness, however, made it easy for an experienced opponent to counter her every blow despite the power it possessed, and her mother here was definitely more than experienced. The fight quickly became one-sided, and not in her favor, with her failing to land even a single attack before fatigue began to consume her, but she was not done yet.

Getting up from the ground for the umpteenth time without a care for her dying Aura, the angry girl made a mad dash with all the power her Semblance had accumulated. Her increasingly irritated mother seemed to also have enough playing around as she rushed forward to meet the upcoming attack head on. This sure would turn ugly if nothing was done to stop it.

Their hero came to save the day!

Well, in actuality, it was just a certain creep finally coming out from behind the bush to suddenly appear in between the clashing mother and daughter with his cane parrying a swinging blade casually and his fan effortlessly stopping a flying fist.

"Ladies, please." He smiled melancholically. "I knew very well a father and son who basically tried to kill each other on daily basis. It was amusing to say the least. But here I learn that if such a thing happens to a mother and daughter, somehow, it is just sad..."

Sad indeed...

The aforementioned mother hated how right he was. She refused to accept that such words could come from this supposedly useless creep. It made her angry for some reason, but just as she drew back her sword to then attack him, he stopped her with just one look. Here, to her shock, he suddenly appeared like a completely different person, one who easily made her shiver in fear with the overpowering air he gave off alone.

Meanwhile, the daughter, not knowing exactly what was going on, pulled back her fist begrudgingly and scowled at the stranger in suspicion.

"And who's this, weirdo?"

In that instant, the one in question returned to his normal demeanor as he grinned at the scowling girl.

"Nice to meet you, Yang-chan! I am Kisuke Urahara, your dad's new friend, and your mom's new err..." He tapped his head with his fan uncertainly. "With how mean she threats me, technically... slave perhaps?"

"..."

Seriously...

This was one of the reasons Raven absolutely did not want him to meet her daughter, but it was too late now. The best thing she could do to save the situation was to drag him out of here as soon as possible before he could spout out even more garbage. Thus, despite his whining, she did just that without another word to her dumbfounded daughter, leaving the girl alone.

The unlikely pair only stopped as they came near the border of the still palpable heat fields.

As a Kido master himself, Kisuke Urahara knew well enough what could have left such a vast amount of lingering Reiatsu, but it was still a surprise even to him.

"I already heard about the news, but to think that it was really Itto Kaso..." He tipped up his hat slightly to get a better look. "We could only wonder what could have even possibly pushed Hitsugaya-san, the new Royal Guard powerhouse himself, to resort to such a desperate measure."

"Well, to be fair, he apparently had lost most of his power early on in this world for some reason."

"That makes the most sense... But now I wonder if perhaps he had actually done it himself."

"I doubt we'd get any answer from him anytime soon, but there's someone maybe we could ask."

Interesting.

Just as he was about to get her to tell more, however, his mean companion suddenly turned into a curious black bird. It made him stop, reminding him instantly of Yoruichi being a bossy black cat. This one looked adorable, though. He found himself wanting to pet it, but to his dismay, it suddenly flew away and he had to jump high to the air to catch up.

This sight of a suspicious stranger running after a corvid flying in the sky over vast, dangerous fields lasted until the latter landed on top of a hovering airship.

He jumped to catch it here.

"Got you, little birdie!"

Just as it turned back into a woman...

"Get your dirty hands off me, you creep!"

SLAP!

This dubious scene of a sexual harassment was definitely not what the Commander in Chief of Atlesian Military Special Operatives Unit expected to find when she went to the top of the airship to check. The victim, she recognized quickly, but the offender was clearly a stranger. Nonetheless, she refrained from jumping into conclusion rashly as she moved to intervene, even more so considering how shady this supposed victim was.

"Excuse me?" Her usual unimpressed look set in automatically. "This airship is Atlesian Militay's property, so please resume such an activity elsewhere."

Ouch.

Never had Raven Branwen felt this humiliated in her thirty something years of life. She swore here that the creep now sporting her handprint on his face had caused her nothing but bad luck ever since she heard him talk. Still, she had a reputation to upkeep, so she quickly stood up with a smirk in place.

"Sorry, ma'am. We'll keep that in mind." Gritting her teeth, she gave her companion a threateningly sweet look. "Isn't that right, Urahara-san?"

"Oh, certainly, Raven-san! Who is it we're speaking to, though, I wonder..."

"Oh, silly me." Her smirk suddenly turned mischievous. "You see, outside duty, this young lady is normally known as **Mrs Hitsugaya**."

Take that!

Sure enough, the creep took the bait right away with a dramatic gasp.

"So Hitsugaya-san has really turned into a woman?!"

"..."

"Sorry. That wasn't funny."

"I'll kill you."

"Sorry! Let's try again, Raven-san." He gulped nervously before faking another gasp. "So Hitsugaya-san actually came here to elope?! With a Quincy no less! Just like his obnoxious 'old man'! Couldn't he at least first ask me, his old comrade in arms, for a blessing?! I feel forgotten!"

Hopeless.

It was honestly a perfect setup to get the supposed Mrs Hitsugaya teased to death in Raven's opinion. Sadly, her partner in crime here turned out to be simply incompetent when needed. Sighing in frustration, she decided to just clear things up with the still unimpressed military officer waiting in front of them.

"Well, as you can see, this disappointing creep here is the insufferable shopkeeper who happens to be your man's old acquaintance."

"Have you briefed him about the situation?"

"More or less."

"Get him to work then."

With pleasure.

Giving no warning, she quickly spun around to kick her poor companion from the top of the airship, and it brought her a great satisfaction then to hear his loud wailing as he fell down below to where the barrier encasing his comrade was located.

Now they waited.

The woman in white appeared skeptical. Meanwhile, the one in red seemed to be kind of hoping that the creep had simply fallen down to his death. None of them was prepared then when all of a sudden, a strange, almost palpable pressure in the air crashed down all around them, bringing them down close to their knees. It was truly shocking, but before they could even start trying to make any sense of it, it just stopped, allowing them to breath easy again.

... Just what in Remnant was that?

A Captain-level Shinigami spiritual pressure being released at once.

Of course, having pretty much no idea about that, the two women could only look around in daze as they straightened up slowly. It was then that they noticed in surprise that there was almost no trace left of the palpable heat covering the ground below them. This certainly compelled them to come down immediately and see what was actually happening there.

What a letdown it was to find only the insufferable shopkeeper standing all too innocently before the familiar ice formation.

Still, as much as she disliked it, Raven couldn't help her curiosity.

"Was that your doing?"

"No need to be impressed, Raven-san." Though his grin told otherwise. "It was simply me dispersing the lingering Reiatsu in the vicinity with one of my own."

"Impressive..."

The unexpected compliment just came out unconsciously, but it was enough to make the both of them simultaneously stiffen in disbelief.

What a pair of fools.

The third person in the company just shook her head tiredly, deciding to just get to the point.

"You, the shopkeeper, what can we do to free Toushiro?"

That snapped him out of it.

"Oh, let's see." He looked up at the towering object in thought. "One thing for sure. Hyorinmaru, his Zanpakuto spirit, is responsible for it. It was probably a fail-safe measure to save his life. Now, the problem is this barrier has proven to be strong enough to even withstand Itto Kaso, so I doubt even I have the required power to break it."

"I see. Then, instead, is it possible to ask this Hyorinmaru to release him?"

"You are truly a smart lady, Mrs Hitsugaya." It was a genuine compliment despite the light teasing. "Hyorinmaru, the legendary guardian spirit of the Frozen Heaven, is special and even revered among Zanpakuto. It has a strong presence even outside its domain, allowing it to take independent actions if necessary. That means it is pretty much possible for it to consciously interact with anyone it deems worthy."

"Can you do it?"

"Oh, please forgive me. I don't think a mere shopkeeper like me is anywhere near worthy enough."

More like he was just scared of dragons.

Winter had her suspicion here, but she disregarded it quickly as her gaze traveled upward to the silhouette of her partner within the ice. Now that she knew that it was caused by the spirit living with him, she unconsciously wondered what it looked like, and more importantly, if it might deem her worthy. There was no point being uncertain about it, however. For him, here and now, she would prove herself no matter the risk that awaited her.

"I'll do it."

* * *

**The reinforcement has arrived! Please don't mind that it comes in a rather underwhelming package as Raven puts it. The plot keeps on moving in the end, though as it seems, the stars in this chapter are 'the bird and the shopkeeper'. ****It's surprisingly fun to write them fooling around together.**

**Ps. Ty Random Nerd on the internet!**


	10. love

**So far, our heavenly guardian has met everyone from his Schnee woman's family, so it's about time for her to meet his side of the family. Well, this one might not be a family member in a traditional sense, but it's the closest thing he has here. A mighty dragon can act as a protective parent too if needed!**

**10**

* * *

Any normal person would've freaked out to find their body being covered bit by bit with ice, but this was someone known as an ice queen here. To see her just frown a bit without showing any sign of resistance as she let herself being encased completely shouldn't be that much of a surprise. In the end, the sight found within the new ice formation that now stood facing its near identical, original counterpart was that of a maiden resting peacefully with a serene yet purposeful look on her features.

Nonetheless, after watching the whole thing in alarm, a certain shape-sifting woman who still considered herself a normal person couldn't help but glower in suspicion at the one she knew to be responsible for it.

"You! What have you done?!"

"Oh?" The shown surprise was clearly fake. "I didn't know you care, Raven-san, seeing how -"

"Stop being insufferable for a second, you creep!"

That might be too much to ask.

Still, perhaps it was because he had begun to have a soft spot for her, but said creep decided to give her a break for once.

"To be honest, I don't know for sure myself." His gaze landed contemplatively on the pair of ice formations. "I just used a little spell to bridge Mrs Hitsugaya's consciousness with the great spirit's presence that lingers within the ice. Still, as concerning as it appears, the fact that we received a response alone can be considered a success. Now it is left only in the good lady's own hands to get her beloved back."

"... It looks dangerous, though. What if she fails and gets herself trapped too?"

"That is the risk I'm sure she is more than ready to take."

"I don't get it..." Her troubled scowl showed that much. "Yeah, sure, those two are practically married and all, but why risk that much?"

Interesting question.

Honestly, it was quite amusing for the frighteningly perceptive Kisuke Urahara to find that a fine woman her age could be rather clueless in this matter. He sure wouldn't pass such an opportunity to share his expertise here. It needed to look convincing, though, so he turned toward her scowling form as dramatically as possible before closing the distance between them until he could gently touch her shoulder.

"It might seem corny, or maybe dreamy coming from this humble gentleman, but the answer is love, my dear Raven-san."

"Ha ha..." She almost cringed in disgust. "You can't be serious."

"But I am!" He fired up suddenly for some bizarre reason. "Even a bitter oba-san like you should never doubt the power of love! A Bankai is weak without love. Love conquers all. Do you know that even The Almighty Ywach was defeated in the end thanks to love?"

Bullshit.

Raven had no clue who this Ywach was, but she could call his stupid blabbering bullshit with absolute certainty right away. It was all just a pathetic excuse from him to touch her. So, feeling irritated enough already with being called oba-san, she shook off his dirty hand harshly with a warning glare.

"Fuck off, you creep!"

Ouch.

Having his playful advances rejected so cruelly by an oba-san surprisingly hit as hard as having them ignored by those schoolgirls he greeted religiously every morning. It inevitably made the midlife crisis he suffered in recent years felt more real as he stepped back with a defeated sigh. Perhaps it was best for him to just wait in silence here.

Easier said than done.

As moments passed, he found himself sneaking glances at his scowling companion, and it just didn't make sense to him. He always prided himself to be a man of culture who appreciated tall and buxom women the most. And this feisty oba-san, as ravishing as she looked at her age, just couldn't quite meet that criteria enough. Regardless, he was in a dire need to put a stop to this problematic situation before she made him regret it herself.

"You know, Raven-san, your company is much appreciated. But I can't help wondering why you're still here now that your job's pretty much done." He then suddenly faked a gasp. "Could it be..."

"..."

"Could it be that you find yourself already feeling attached to this humble yet handsome shopkeeper?"

"What the -"

"Oh, it's a pleasure, Raven-san! Believe me. But it cannot be. You know Tai-san is a good drinking buddy, so it would be awkward if we suddenly just -"

A fearsome blade stopped his dramatic performance abruptly. He, of course, just caught it in mid swing with his fan, but the death glare the wielder sent along toward him still landed head on, making him quite feel bad. Those red eyes seemed to burn with killing intent even as the blade was eventually pulled away.

Still, he had a point.

Why was she still here?

Surely, Raven had no time to waste especially with such a creep. She should've gotten as far away from him as possible the moment she was done here. There was just no reason to stick around this long. The fact that he was so surprisingly powerful did interest her admittedly, but it was nothing more than that, surely not worth putting up with his insufferable presence any longer.

With a tired sigh, she made up her mind then.

"Fine. I'm leaving."

"Raven-san... You know I was just messing with you."

"Tell Toushi to give me a call once he's back."

"Oh, of course." For some reason, he looked genuinely disappointed. "You still have his phone with you, so feel free to give me a call too if you need help."

"I'd rather not."

Ouch.

And just like that.

The short adventure of the bird and the shopkeeper finally ended with the former flying away without giving the latter even a second glance.

―

When one adventure ended, another started. This one was more like a journey, however, a lonesome one that in a sense, considering the otherworldly feels of it, seemed like a dream. Even so, it just seemed real despite all the logical reasons that proved the contrary.

The chilling wind amidst the snowy darkness...

A blizzard.

Following the fading of her consciousness, Winter had not expected that its return would bring herself standing in the midst of a raging blizzard. If she wasn't her cold and calculating self here, surely, she wouldn't have been able to remain this calm. As it was, despite the harshness of her surroundings, her focused mind kept reminding her that it was not real. Or, to be exact, it was not happening in the real world where her body was supposedly encased in ice. That was a sign that, not unlike in dreams, her presence here was represented by her consciousness only.

It was a quite concerning situation she had found herself in, however, it also suggested that she had succeeded in her first step.

As it appeared, the great guardian spirit had responded to her plea and brought her, at least her consciousness, to its divine realm.

Frozen Heaven...

Granted, her vision was greatly limited due to the blizzard and the surrounding darkness, but it sure didn't look like a heaven, not that it really mattered. What should actually concern her was the fact that so far, there seemed to be no sign of the spirit she needed to talk with. According to the dubious shopkeeper, she would find it here in the place that was also supposed to serve as its master's inner world. She had been told rather suspiciously that there was no chance she would miss this particular spirit's presence. That could mean it had not showed itself to her for a reason then.

A trial perhaps?

To see if she was really worthy?

Honestly, she didn't carry as much confidence with her here as normal, just considering the fact that she was a Quincy. The chance that a legendary Zanpakuto spirit would ever give an approval to someone of her race, based on the bloody history, should be pretty slim. That might explain why the first greeting she received here had come in the form of a raging blizzard.

She was not welcomed...

No matter.

The fact that she had been given a chance instead of being eliminated on sight should at least mean something. This spirit belonged to her man, thus it should be perfectly reasonable to expect that it wouldn't dare to bring her any harm. Besides, she kind of doubted it could be that scary as the shopkeeper implied, not that it would matter much.

She would make this Hyorinmaru bow down to her in the end like it probably did to its master.

With that in mind, the proud Quincy felt her confidence invigorated considerably, giving her a much needed push to brace through the blizzard. The chilling wind was relentless, but she kept on walking. There was no way to tell how long time had passed in this place still with nothing in sight. It was quite disheartening, but still not enough to deter her, not until the wind suddenly brought fort to her a faint whisper.

_'My blade has bathed with the bloods of your kind...'_

The eeriness alone made her shudder. If it was the spirit's intention to intimidate her, it appeared to work effectively enough. She had to stop for a moment in attempt to maintain her composure before cautiously looking around to see where the voice came from. As she did, however, her close surroundings brightened up slowly with the wind dying down until she could make out a small figure in the distance.

Hyorinmaru?

Naturally, she came to that assumption right away. And there was admittedly a sense of relief that soothed her at the notion that the spirit was not some kind of colossal beast. As she moved closer, however, all those things were quickly thrown out of the window with the figure being revealed to be a preteen boy who just looked familiar to her.

Toushiro?!

This boy looked just like his younger self that she had found the picture of in his old Scroll. If there was any doubt in her mind, it disappeared completely then at the sight of the Shinigami Captain attire he wore and of course the distinctive long-sword on his back. Still, she was honestly surprised that he used to be this short, remembering that even she used to be taller than that at that age. This would've been enough to make her laugh a bit if not for the intimidatingly cold look he had on his adorable face as if he was ready to kill.

At that moment, some other figures, those of adults, came into view. She didn't know any of them except for the fact that they were all apparently Quincy like her. She would have been excited here to see the Heilig Bogen they wielded if only those signature spirit weapons were not all directed toward the lone, young Shinigami. It was then that she noticed the pure hatred in their expressions. However, before she could make any sense of the situation, the gleaming blade of a Zanpakuto was drawn in a flash to kill each one of those Quincy in cold blood without any chance for resistance.

Here, if she was in her physical body, her blood would've reacted violently for sure at the tragic scene. That was why she knew that none of this was real. Even then, it did little to lessen the pain in her chest because she also knew that long ago, this had truly happened. She had learned that much from him, but still, seeing it herself was another matter entirely.

What was Hyorinmaru's intention by showing her this?

She couldn't even guess the answer, but it doesn't seem to matter. After the scene ended, she decided to walk further only to find another one play out before her just like the first one. There was nothing she could do to make it stop despite her protests. One after another, the scenes of slaughter appeared in her way, and no matter what she did, she just couldn't run away from them. Her eyes had long started to water, but it was the sight of a young girl who was just barely able to use Blut fallen by the blade that made her break down in tears.

Unforgivable...

By this point, Winter would be lying she said there was no resentment growing in her heart toward Toushiro Hitsugaya for his unforgivable actions against her ancestral race. She let out this resentment tearily by glaring at the boy he supposedly used to be. However, what she found on that young, childish face made her stop suddenly. A heartbreaking look of defeat had broken through his cold features as he tried to shoulder all the guilt from those actions.

It was here that she was reminded of that private talk in her airship where he made a truly unbelievable admission. From what she understood back then, it all had not happened for no reason. And his decision to put those Quincy out of their misery, even though still unforgivable, was supposedly to spare them from an even worse fate. The fateful decision itself had apparently come only after one tragic turn of events that now she couldn't help but wonder about.

As if in response, the wind picked up again and brought fort another whisper.

_'My blade has tasted the blood in your veins...'_

Now it simply made no sense.

A scowl marred her features, but she was nonetheless thankful for the unexpected distraction. It could help her get herself together and continue onward. She should've known better, however, that something else was already waiting for her. Only a few steps deeper into the darkness of the still raging blizzard, her close surroundings brightened up with the wind dying down again. She braced herself immediately then for another mental torment.

The increasingly familiar sight of her partner's much younger self again appeared before her, but unexpectedly enough, he didn't look about ready to slaughter anyone this time. He was not even standing tensely like before. Instead, he was seated at a table that somehow had come with this scene. What really caught her off guard, however, was the appearance of a female figure sitting opposite from him. It wasn't easy to get a clear view, but after a little trying, she stiffened suddenly in shock.

It was her...

To her disbelief, the mysterious woman looked exactly like her. Even the voice sounded just like hers as she engaged in a seemingly one-sided conversation with the boy over what looked to be ice creams. The sheer strangeness of it all convinced her that it was probably just a fictional illusion this time, but still, she decided to stay and watch. Her look-alike here was apparently sharing about a lonely life story in the absence of a dearly missed brother. It was getting boring, but perhaps it would've been better to stay that way, because what came next was truly something she didn't wish to see.

The lighthearted moment ended sadly with the horrific truth being revealed as things became serious.

A hopeless plea...

A heartbreaking acceptance...

A tragic goodbye with a blade through the heart that ended it all.

Winter felt as if it was her own heart being pierced as her look-alike drew one last breath with such a bittersweet smile. Her eyes, wide with shock and pain, uncertainly sought the murderer's face, only to find a lone tear having fallen down his cheek. The shocking scene began to fade afterward, and only then she realized that it was her very name that had weakly come from his mouth with his farewell.

No way...

What was the chance that there used to be another Quincy named Winter Schnee once upon a time who happened to share an exact resemblance with her?

However, the whisper told that the blade had tasted her blood...

It all dreadfully pointed toward one unbelievable conclusion. She still retained enough sensibility even in this situation to put things together and understand that much. Coming to acceptance was another matter entirely, however, and would definitely require some effort. Not that she'd have the chance to even start anytime soon apparently.

The blizzard began to return in full force, cloaking the surroundings in darkness again, but all it accomplished was making her finally snap.

"Enough! Bad Quincy is not welcomed, I get it, but enough with it! What a rude spirit you are!"

She looked absolutely scary here, enough to absolutely scare said spirit's master for sure, but it mattered little. Such concepts did not apply to the legendary spirit itself. Instead of backing down, it responded by finally showing the first visual sign of its presence in this realm.

There in the distance, breaking slowly through the darkness of the blizzard, a huge, crimson pair of eyes glowed ominously as if in a glare.

Uh oh.

As it seemed, it was the scary woman who ended up being scared, not that she could be blamed for such an instinctive reaction. On the contrary, it was quite admirable that she was able to recover quickly enough and in fact, glare back. Foolish bravery it might be in face of something far beyond her own imagination, but it was surprisingly also what confirmed her worthiness in the end.

The blizzard in Frozen Heaven completely died down at last to reveal the one who reigned over it...

Hyorinmaru

There was nothing more majestic than the sight of the colossal ice dragon revealing its full form in the frozen landscape that now glittered beautifully with light finally shining upon it. The woman in white looked and felt so insignificantly small in its presence as she stood paralyzed, frozen in fear and amazement. Not breaking contact with her now undeniably wide eyes, it leaned down its massive head to have a closer look at her.

"How old are you, little Quincy?"

"T- Twenty one years old."

"So young." It seemed to frown in disapproval. "My master will need to answer why he chose to mate with an underage Quincy hatchling."

"Excuse me?!"

"It does not seem so wrong anymore, however, after putting the fact that you have lived for a thousand years the first time into consideration."

Right...

Winter, being the sensible woman that she was, gave how scared, intimidated, and probably offended she was no more thought as she fell into contemplation.

"So it was really me..."

"Indeed. I know for certain since it was through my blade that thousand years of life ended. You have the right to feel betrayed, little Quincy."

"..."

"Unforgivable. That is what you think. Give it up then, and you will be returned to the life you have now."

As cruel as it was, it was better this way.

Hyorinmaru had every intention to keep its master safe within the barrier until he recovered completely and regained his full power as a Shiningami no matter how long it would take. This woman should not intervene, and by the pained and conflicted look now on her face, she appeared to be no longer a concern. Her time here had come to an end as it seemed, until all of a sudden, she looked up with a surprisingly determined yet rather accusing look.

"I see. So that's how it is. You're like an overprotective parent who doesn't want their precious boy to date the wrong girl, you know that?"

"..."

Giving the dragon not much time to be dumbfounded, she gathered all the courage she had to stand up to it albeit shakily and make a point.

"Yes, it's unthinkable to just forgive him at the moment, even after considering the situation at that time. He still slaughtered my people. He still murdered that woman..." Again, tears brimmed in her eyes. "Me..."

"..."

"But you will not get in the way between us. It was fate that he came into my life again. He is mine! It's up to me to make him pay if I wish to."

So daring.

Perhaps a different approach was required.

"How futile. You have seen firsthand the danger he possesses when you first met him, little Quincy, a great darkness that gave him no choice but to give up his being as a Shinigami to prevent it from taking over and making him kill you the second time."

"You mean..." It painfully dawned on her. "Back then..."

"With his lost of power, the darkness was successfully weakened, but not for long. I intentionally cut off our connection for that reason. In the current, vulnerable human state he has ended up into, he is more susceptible than ever to this darkness because of its close link with me."

"What do you mean close?"

"Take a look at my shadow, little Quincy."

Warily, she did as told, only to stumble back immediately in shock as it finally dawned on her that the massive, dark shadow underneath the dragon's colossal form was able to move on its own as if it was alive.

"It wants to kill me..."

"It is poisonous for Quincy like you, but since you are here not in your physical body, there is no need to worry. It has no other intention than to take over my master. That is why it is in your best interest to give up on him if you don't want your second life to be at risk."

That should do it.

"No."

"You don't understand what you're getting yourself into, little Quincy."

"Stop calling me that! I am a proud Quincy, yes, but I have a name. It's Winter."

"You don't understand, still."

Maybe...

But...

"I wonder what it'd take for you to understand yourself. You might see me as weak now, but I will become stronger for him if needed, so please..." It was clear that she was not used to show this much emotions. "Give him back, Hyorinmaru, because I will never give up on him."

Silence prevailed then in Frozen Heaven as both the Quincy and the Zanpakuto spirit fell into a standoff until eventually, the latter let out a rumbling sigh.

"You win, little Winter."

"Thank you, good dragon, but I am not little." Blue eyes narrowed scoldingly. "Give a lady more respect, would you?"

"Very well, Winter lady."

"Much better."

What a smug little lady.

Now that she had won, it even looked as if she expected the mighty dragon to bow down, but it just came off as amusing instead of offensive. It might even be worth to entertain her a bit. Her breath hitched childishly then as she got completely caught off guard by the little bow given. And this little display was enough to elicit a rumbling boom that sounded conspicuously like a chuckle from the dragon's great maw as its head rose up again.

"You have my approval, Winter lady. I might even be willing to lend you power once you're ready."

"R- Really?"

"Your name and personality sure do fit my nature perfectly."

Right.

She looked kind of unimpressed by the implication before frowning suddenly.

"But I'm a Quincy..."

"We will see once it comes down to it."

"I was getting my hopes up basically for nothing then, but, whatever." As tempting as it was, she refused to pout. "What now?"

"It is time for you to leave. My master will be released. You are free to do what you please with him from then on."

That sounded good to her, satisfyingly good.

―

Not good...

"I don't feel good..." The strange nausea hit again. "Ugh, I don't have time for this."

Standing over a sink of one particular restroom in Atlas Medical Facility, the young military commander moodily wiped up her mouth before glaring at her tired-looking reflection in the mirror.

Winter Schnee was not supposed to look that pitiful!

Being the proud woman that she was, she couldn't even afford to get sick. Anything that could make her look any less than perfectly poised and proper was intolerable. It would also be embarrassing for her to end up as a patient too after coming here as a daily visitor for weeks. If this was what she got in return for being a good and caring woman for her partner who up to this point still had the audacity to take his time waking up, she would snap.

It had been almost a month for goodness' sake!

She was a busy woman, even more busy now, considering her responsibility as a commander. The looming threat from Land of Darkness, after what happened to Vale, had compelled the military to be alert more than ever. Day after day, she had to attend meetings, arrange important operations, and often keep an eye on that dubious shopkeeper whom her esteemed superior had somehow decided to employ as well. It all gave her a headache already, so getting sick was the last thing she needed, not that she had any choice in the matter.

Her reflection, with those dull, slate blue gaze, reminded her that she was still just a human despite her being convinced otherwise for having Quincy blood. If it turned out that the property of being immune to common sickness was exclusive only to pure-blood, she would smash the mirror in frustration. She was already tempted to do just that after seeing the pitiful view it showed.

Unlike Weiss, she never cared much about looking pretty, but this was simply unacceptable.

Ironically enough here, her uncharacteristic fussing about her look made her nausea feel not much like of a priority anymore. She was too busy washing her face now in a rather desperate attempt to hide her presently not so good condition. For a brief moment, she even regretted the fact that she was not feminine enough to bring some makeups around with her. Such things might be helpful here, though in the end, she still managed on her own, thankfully enough.

It was not like the one she was about to visit would even be awake enough to see her, anyway. Even if he suddenly decided to wake up, it still wouldn't matter much, since aside from his strange obsession with seeing her hair down, he never seemed to care much about her looks in general. That kind of stung actually now that she thought about it. That man didn't deserve her looking good, she decided grumpily then as she left the restroom, even more so after making her so worried in the past weeks.

Still, despite the silly frustration she currently felt toward her partner, the moody woman honestly couldn't wait to return to his side. The impatient look she had as she pretty much barged into the same VIP room that he also used his first time here in Atlas showed that much. She seemed to barely care about the disruption she caused, and if it could make him finally wake up, probably all the better to her.

Alas, all it did was making the already present visitor in the room scowl chidingly.

"My eldest daughter. Would it hurt you to act like a normal woman for once?"

"I don't know. Would it hurt you to act like a normal, non meddling mother for once?" She gladly returned the scowl after closing the door behind her. "I swear it seems that you come here more often than me."

"And what's wrong with that? Are you throwing a tantrum just because I came here earlier than you today?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I was already here earlier, but had to visit the restroom."

That should be her victory, but then, unexpectedly enough, her mother looked her over rather concernedly in return.

"You sure took a while, though. Is everything okay?"

"Yes."

"Winter, are you okay?"

Since when did this old woman become so perceptive?

Honestly, as much as she appreciated her mother's recent changes for the better, sometimes, Winter missed being left alone. Granted, maybe it was just her being moody, but at the moment, she kind of missed those days of being seen as less important than some bottles of liquor. Her mother had no right to meddle with her life now. She was a perfectly capable adult who commanded a whole military unit, so even the concern was pretty much unneeded. However, after seeing how genuine it was on that lightly wrinkled face, she just had no heart to respond rudely.

"I'm fine, mother." Hopefully, it looked convincing enough. "It's probably just all the stress and fatigue from work finally catching up to me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"But you don't look so well..."

This was getting irritating.

"You're imagining things."

"That may be true if you don't have the look of a woman who just had a morning sickness."

"You're being delusional now!"

"I prefer to call it hopeful."

What a smug old woman.

Feeling increasingly fed up, the daughter just huffed in response before taking a seat opposite of her mother with the patient bed separating them. The patient himself, still lying unconscious, seemed to act as a barrier that prevented them from tearing each other's hair out. It worked in a sense, interestingly enough, seeing how the mother's attention was quickly focused back on him. The daughter, however, strangely frowned at this, looking kind of conflicted somehow.

"Mother..." She hesitated a bit. "You know that he is in actuality far from the fairy tale hero you seemingly believe him to be, don't you?"

"Hmm?"

"You see, in another world, there used to be a whole unique race of holy -"

"You mean Quincy?"

Wait, what?!

"You know?"

At her apparent surprise, her mother just smiled slightly with a soft, melancholic look.

"Your grandfather used to tell me stories about them when I was little. I loved those stories. It actually surprises me that you know them too. Do you know that you were named after our favorite Quincy?"

"W- Winter?" Her eyes widened instantly. "... What was she like in the story?"

"Hmm, just like you, I think. Except she didn't like fighting and had no problem wearing dresses."

Ouch.

The unexpected jab hit the mark head-on, leaving the daughter speechless, though she quickly got over it. It was simply not important compared to the ironic coincidence behind her name. However, now that she thought about it, it might not be that much of a coincidence. There had to be a reason that she was a Schnee both in the past and present. And this might be a chance for her to get some clues about it.

"Mother, tell me more about this Winter. Was her last name also Schnee?"

"Well, as far as I remember, father just called her Winter, so, who knows?"

"Maybe you're just going senile and forget about it..."

"Hey! Watch your tongue, young lady." Truthfully, the mother was not that offended, seeing how quickly she got over it. "I still remember just fine, even little details like how your grandfather always referred to her as the best big sister any Quincy could ever hope to have."

That sounded like...

If she wasn't the poised and proper woman that she was, Winter would have her mouth hanging open with disbelief at the sheer absurdity of it. Learning that they might possibly have been their own grandfather's older sister in a past life could do that to anyone. Even she was no exception, though she could recover quickly enough to not raise any suspicion. It was best to get back on track.

"Enough with Winter." She almost cringed at the sheer awkwardness. "If you know about Quincy, mother, have you ever heard about Shinigami as well?"

"Sure. They were said to be polar opposites, like there was basically no one Quincy hated more than Shinigami."

"Then... What if I tell you that Toushiro Hitsugaya was a prominent Shinigami, one who had slaughtered hundreds of Quincy?"

Here, unexpectedly, the mother's perceptiveness seemed to show again.

"That is unforgivable, Winter, no matter the reason. However..." Gently, her hand caressed the snowy locks before her. "To me, this gentleman would always be the lovable hero who took my lonely daughter's heart away."

"Goodness... Ugh, you just made my nausea return."

"Morning sickness."

"Stop being delusional, old woman!"

It was worth it, though.

Said old woman just felt happy now that she was able to ruffle her previously distant daughter's feathers easily after having regretfully been like strangers to each other for years, but it was probably enough for today.

"I was just being hopeful, but, alright. We should be more concerned about your poor intended's condition for the time being."

"I swear, at this rate, his prosthetic arm is going to be finished before he even wakes up."

"Oh? Is it nearly done?"

"Yes. With our company's support, the process to build the CFRD frame could be shortened considerably. The only thing left is the installation for the artificial nervous system, the last time I checked."

"That sounds great and all, but make sure the design is artistic enough to befit him. And, oh, it would be nice to have it sport SDC logo too, I think."

Seriously...

Winter was actually fine and all with artistic design since she was quite an artistic person herself, but this was just ludicrous.

"Mother. The fact alone that it uses Carbon Fiber Reinforced Dust as its frame means that it is designed for combat, not for show, so, no. No logo."

"Fortunately, you have no say in this matter, miss commander, since you're no longer the company's heir."

Ouch.

"How could you, old woman?!"

"Oh, come on. Just a nice, little logo. I'm sure he'll like it. You're acting like a domineering wife already."

That was the mother's total victory.

The scandalized look on the daughter's face told that much. Her mouth opened and closed slightly for a moment, but nothing just came out of it as she failed miserably to muster a comeback. She got teasingly rewarded with some cooing for that, and it was just too much even for her supposedly cold self. Surprisingly enough, however, instead of snapping in return as expected, she just leaned forward to bury her now blushing face on the soft mattress before her.

How cute!

It had been so long since this giddy mother saw her eldest daughter looking so embarrassed, but as she held herself back from squealing, an unexpected sight suddenly caught her attention and made her gasp in excitement.

Winter, too busy hiding her face, was caught off guard when she felt her signature bun being undone slowly. Her mind was running immediately, guessing what actually happened for a moment before she finally looked up. And, just as she guessed, the hand that had been lying motionless close to her was gone. Her partner had apparently used that remaining hand of his to sneakily free her hair the first moment he finally woke up. There was no doubt how happy she was to see this, but first thing first, it was prudent to welcome him back with her familiar unimpressed look.

"You really love seeing my hair down, don't you?"

"I didn't expect to ever see it again."

That sounded kind of sweet, but...

"Why does it seem like you only miss my hair?"

"Not true." His confused frown looked so convincing. "I missed the rest of your body too."

The third occupant of the room snickered a little at that despite her best effort not to intrude, and it was enough to make her daughter blush again indignantly.

"Don't be cocky after having only slept with me once."

"Then, would it be possible to up the number anytime soon, Miss Schnee?"

"The answer is no if you go back to calling me that."

"Understood. Winter."

Good.

Maybe her mother wasn't wrong in calling her domineering, but it just felt good hearing him say her name. She might even have a thing for it just like he did for seeing her hair down. To her, with the dark, distant past still haunting her, these little things served as important reminder of how much what they had between them in the present meant to her, how much he meant to her. She could see here that her mother was also right about him. Unfortunately, just remembering those sickeningly sweet words seemed to make her nausea return again.

The man in her thought looked at her in concern immediately, but, with her oversensitiveness about the subject, she glared stubbornly in response.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm sorry, but you don't look quite well, like you're having -"

"Not morning sickness!"

* * *

**The flashback in chapter 4 explains more about the scene of ******the past** Winter encounters right before meeting Hyorinmaru. The dragon's appearance itself ****** here **is not explained in details, but I use its later form that****** more** resembles western dragon. It doesn't affect the story whatsoever. Toushiro is still back by the end. However, now that basically the first arc is over, I'm seriously considering taking a break, so, goodbye for now!  
**


End file.
